Btech-Online BattletechMUX v0.x Beta
------------------------------------
____________________
=     Contents     =
====================
* S1: Introduction *
* S2: History      *
* S3: Credits      *
* S4: License      *
====================

S1: INTRODUCTION
--- ------------
Battletech MUX is a TinyMUX 1.6 based MUX server with special Battletech
extentions. These extensions allow for site admins to configure and run a 
persistent warfare simulation using a rule set that is adapted for our 
real-time environment from the turn based nature of the original board 
game by FASA.

Before continuing any further, it is strongly recommended that you at the 
very least have experience with Battletech. While prior MUX experience is 
not a must, it will also make your life as an admin substantially easier. 
It is usually a good idea to try out a variety of the different 
BattletechMUX sites running before crafting your own. You learn a lot 
about how things are done and you may get some ideas for your own content. 
You may view a complete listing of active sites on the BattletechMUX wiki 
which is located at http://docs.btmux.com 

To find out how to install this piece of software, see the INSTALL file. The
rest of this README describes the history of the code, in rough outlines, as
well as the rationale behind the license (which can be found in the file
COPYING)

Note that there are many resources available if you are in need of help or 
would like to contribute to the community. You may view the SUPPORT file 
for details on these matters.

S2: HISTORY
-----------
This MUX is the result of nearly 10 years of development in one form or
another. It started with a TinyMUSE based server, in '92 or '93. Its primary
site was also the most popular BattleTech MU* to date, 3056MUSE. After that
the code was ported to/reimplemented with TinyMUSH by the Animudiacs crew,
who ran, among other servers, 3034-II (which later turned into 3035) and
Varxsis (a non-battletech universe with similar technology.) Somewhat
simultaneously, Markus Stenberg (aka Fingon) ported the original MUSE code
to TinyMUX, implementing a lot of ideas from the Animudiacs sites and
implementing a lot more from scratch, both official Battletech rules and
brandnew ideas. The main MUX site has always been 3030MUX.

Fingon continued development until about '98, after which he released the
source to public in a restricted license and retired. Development for 3030
was continued by several of the 3030MUX Wizards, most notably Thomas Wouters
(Focus) and Cord Awtry (Spectre). 

In 1999, a new BattletechMUX using the restricted licensed source opens up 
under the banner of 'Exile: Exodus', with development efforts lead by Null 
(Kevin Stevens). Exile took an aggressive approach to development and many 
modifications, rewrites, and additions were made to the now ancient 
source. Although some parallel development was done in coordination with 
the staff of 3030, the two trees stayed largely seperate due to licensing.

After some prods from people running their own spinoffs from the original 
'public' release by Fingon, Fingon, Spectre, and Focus wrote a new licence: 
the 3030MUX Artistic License, and released the actual 3030MUX source tree 
under it. The MUX source also moved to SourceForge for its main development.

Still limited by the licensing on the old release, the Exile tree was
unable to release source. Attempts were made to contact Fingon to get the
old tree re-licensed, but over the span of several years nothing was heard
from him. 

In late 2004 and early 2005, Null begins to port his changes to the Exile
base to the open-sourced 3030 branch. 

The torch was then picked up and carried by a development team 
headed up by Kelvin McCorvin, composed of many of the people in the 
docs/CREDITS file. With Hag as lead programmer over a capable team of
developers, the codebase has experienced much growth and improvement,
leaving us where we are today. Make sure to see the docs/CREDITS file
for a list of contributors and let us know if we left anyone out.

S3: CREDITS
-----------
We would like to give credit where it's due. Unfortunately, because of the
long and confusing history of this actual source as well as the ideas in
other MUSEs, MUSHes and MUXes that inspired the MUX code, we cannot.
Basically, it means anyone who worked on TinyMUSE, TinyMUSH and TinyMUX,
both with and without battletech extentions, as well as those people who
actually built and ran the Battletech MUSE, MUSH and MUX worlds out there.
If you're one of them, and you want to be listed in a docs/CREDITS file, 
let us know.

S4: LICENSE
-----------
This code is distributed under the 3030MUX Artistic License, a modified
Artistic License, which you should find in a file 'LICENSE' accompanying the
actual source code. The changes to the Artistic License are minimal:
sections 3.b, 3.c, 4.b and 7 are scrapped, and the rest of the sections were
renumbered to fill the gaps. No other changes were made. The net result of
these changes is that if you want to host a game with a modified version of
this source, you HAVE TO make that source available. Either by publically
putting it up a website, or by sending it back to the original authors (a
SourceForge patch submission will do.) You do not, however, have to wait for
the authors to incorporate the changes before you use them; making them
available is enough.

The rest of the Artistic License restrictions are the same: You cannot
charge money for this source, though you can charge money for supporting
this source. MUX 'softcode' that you use in a game is considered part of the
configuration/scripting of the MUX, and does not fall under the 3030MUX
Artistic License: you can do anything you like with it, including selling
it. 

The original authors of the code retain their copyright. The source is not
yours. You are given permission to use it. Actual authors are listed in the
files themselves. When attribution in the 'src/' directory is missing,
assuem David Passmore. When attribution in src/hcode or any other directory
is missing, assume Markus Stenberg. If you see code of your own
unattributed, please let us know.