HX8 - 8 players Hexen serial games

HX8 allows you to play Hexen, Doom or related games with up to 8
players together, and this over standard null-modem or modem links.
Thanks to in-the-fly compression, it doesn't require much bandwidth
(see below).

It has been successfully tested with The Ultimate Doom, and,
extensively, with Hexen 1.1.

HX8 is an enhancement of HX3. No full documentation is included;
please download HX3.TXT for full documentation. The following
"what's new" list specifies only changes in this documentation.


 - Up to 8 players support. (for Hexen 1.1 only; Doom and Hexen 1.0
   themselves support up to 4 players only.) Link all computers along
   an open line. No ring or star configuration.

 - Handshake before launching the game : this makes the configuration
   easier. You don't have to write any more the number of players and
   the local player's number in the .cfg file.

 - Required bandwidth : for any given connection, strict minimum is 
   4800 bauds times the number of computers at one end of the
   connection times the number of computers at the other end.
   Example for 4 players :

          4800*1*3=     4800*2*2=     4800*3*1=
            14400         19200         14400
       X ----------- X ----------- X ----------- X

   These are strict minima. As far as possible, specify higher speeds.

 - HX8.CFG : the first line must specify the computer name (max 30
   characters). Every computer must have a different name.
   The second line must be the com port(s), like in HX3.CFG, but 
   without the preceeding <p,n>. See the sample HX8.CFG. Following
   lines are identical as in HX3.CFG.


Known bug : HX8 sometimes hangs up during handshake process. If it
happens, interrupt it (press Esc) and retry. Sorry, bug origin is
still unknown. But it did never happend during the game itself, so
it is considered as minor.

16550 enhanced serial ports support still not included. However, it
works as well with 16550 as it works with the standard 8250.

---

NO WARRANTIES. This software is provided "as is". Use at your own
risk. The author cannot be held responsible for any damage, neither
direct nor indirect, caused to your computer or its data.

Author : Armin Rigo, armin.rigo@p22.gnothi.fn.alphanet.ch
Any comment / bug report is welcome.
