ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Just Jump on INN (see what I did there?)
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CTxCB
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ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by CTxCB »

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This is 'The Little Red Funhouse', it was part of The ImagiNation Network's Map as an 'expansion pack' you'd have to purchase from Sierra. As far as I can tell from Sierra Resources (LANDS.CFG), it had two 'expansions' which would be loaded from the folders 'SCHOOL' (Bright Star School) and 'DWSchool' (Dim Wit School). I'm wondering if any INN Members have these in order to create a complete INN v2.4? :)
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

If I do, it's going to be on a 5.25" disk - because that's what I had back in the days when I was on INN. Do you know when these "expansions" came out - because I was on INN for a very long time, and don't recall "expansions" - they simply added areas.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by CTxCB »

Tawmis wrote:If I do, it's going to be on a 5.25" disk - because that's what I had back in the days when I was on INN. Do you know when these "expansions" came out - because I was on INN for a very long time, and don't recall "expansions" - they simply added areas.
I'm classing 'expansions' as additional purchasable content which you had to contact Sierra for, such as Twinion or Cawdor, for example... But eventually they'd be probably released as additional content (this is how I was able to fix one problem, The Arena, by finding the expansion FOOTBALL with INN's install on Torin's Passage). I can't give much more information about a date, other that they're listed in LANDS.CFG back to at least v2.2, and that I remember when INNRevival was up, clicking on what I'd call a Red Schoolhouse, and being told that I'd have to order something to unlock it, I believe it's the aforementioned content.

From what I can tell the aforementioned building would need to be unlocked by contacting Sierra who'd give you the files needed for that area. The difference being that the aforementioned expansions 'SCHOOL' and 'DWSchool' seem to unlock the 'The Little Red Funhouse', but was never included on installers with later games or future content... Probably to monetise on education stuff.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

I remember, when I was on TSN/INN, that "School" house was accessible. I don't recall doing anything "extra" to unlock it back in the day.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by CTxCB »

Tawmis wrote:I remember, when I was on TSN/INN, that "School" house was accessible. I don't recall doing anything "extra" to unlock it back in the day.
I'm not sure, but I remember on the version of INN the INNRevival Team had (2.4), when I'd click on that 'school' house, it'd tell me that I needed to contact INN on "1-800-IMAGIN-1" to unlock it... It being the aforementioned Bright Star School + Dim Wit School, I think, by Bright Star Technology?
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

CTxCB wrote:
Tawmis wrote:I remember, when I was on TSN/INN, that "School" house was accessible. I don't recall doing anything "extra" to unlock it back in the day.
I'm not sure, but I remember on the version of INN the INNRevival Team had (2.4), when I'd click on that 'school' house, it'd tell me that I needed to contact INN on "1-800-IMAGIN-1" to unlock it... It being the aforementioned Bright Star School + Dim Wit School, I think, by Bright Star Technology?
Oh yes, I remember the INNRevival had it that it would say you had to contact. But there were a few things with INNRevival that weren't "100%" - like the mailboxes and such (because there were no valid accounts). I am guessing that they just never got it working, and so they used the generic message (that you'd get with Twinion and such, if you didn't have it). I wish I could go back in time and remember more clearly.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by CTxCB »

Tawmis wrote:
CTxCB wrote:
Tawmis wrote:I remember, when I was on TSN/INN, that "School" house was accessible. I don't recall doing anything "extra" to unlock it back in the day.
I'm not sure, but I remember on the version of INN the INNRevival Team had (2.4), when I'd click on that 'school' house, it'd tell me that I needed to contact INN on "1-800-IMAGIN-1" to unlock it... It being the aforementioned Bright Star School + Dim Wit School, I think, by Bright Star Technology?
Oh yes, I remember the INNRevival had it that it would say you had to contact. But there were a few things with INNRevival that weren't "100%" - like the mailboxes and such (because there were no valid accounts). I am guessing that they just never got it working, and so they used the generic message (that you'd get with Twinion and such, if you didn't have it). I wish I could go back in time and remember more clearly.
I'm not sure how true that is, because, for example, I was able when INNRevival was up to get The Arena up and running by installing FOOTBALL (which is in Torin's Passage's INN folder)... It replaces some files in the folder, plus the the aforementioned Bright Star School + Dim Wit School are actually referred to in INN's files, even ones that come with games. I just want to know what the Bright Star School / Dim Wit School is. :?
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

CTxCB wrote: I'm not sure how true that is, because, for example, I was able when INNRevival was up to get The Arena up and running by installing FOOTBALL (which is in Torin's Passage's INN folder)... It replaces some files in the folder, plus the the aforementioned Bright Star School + Dim Wit School are actually referred to in INN's files, even ones that come with games. I just want to know what the Bright Star School / Dim Wit School is. :?
I can tell you with about 99% assurance that it was accessible... I don't know what the different schools are - but clicking the Red School House, would give you access in the original TSN/INN.

Omarr has some of the installs archived here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... NkNTNiZTZm

Not sure if anything there might help.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Collector »

Tawmis wrote:Omarr has some of the installs archived here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... NkNTNiZTZm
Omer.
01000010 01111001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100001

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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

Collector wrote:
Tawmis wrote:Omarr has some of the installs archived here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... NkNTNiZTZm
Omer.
Yeah, him too. :lol:
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by OmerMor »

Yeah, me too :)

CTxCB,
that archive has all the INN versions I managed to locate.
I'm still missing a few. You can see the discussion here.

As I wrote you over the INN newsgroup - I'd really like an update on that treasure hunt of yours... :)
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

Pretty cool that Ken Williams replied on their site:

"All good questions -- Unfortunately, I'm not sure anyone knows the answer -- or, at least I don't.
Towards the end INN was partnered with AT&T.
There were some political issues between AT&T and Sierra and generally the INN staffed sided with AT&T, or at least INN's leadership did. AT&T wanted INN converted to run "on the internet" which was just getting started, so everything kind of ground to a halt while a rewrite was discussed.
I remember getting AT&T involved thinking INN would be able to grow faster, but it didn't work out that way.
I wasn't in Oakhurst for the shut down. I don't think it was very organized. Some people took home computers, and some were trashed. The same happened with the artwork. To the extent anything exists it would be from someone taking it home. I am fairly certain no official repository exists.
Wish I knew more...
Ken Williams"
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Rudy »

Tawmis wrote:Pretty cool that Ken Williams replied on their site:
Ken once said during an interview that TSN/INN was the achievement he was most proud of.
Sierra Chest creator, Sierra collector/curator.
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Re: ImagiNation Network (INN) - The Little Red Funhouse

Post by Tawmis »

Rudy wrote:
Tawmis wrote:Pretty cool that Ken Williams replied on their site:
Ken once said during an interview that TSN/INN was the achievement he was most proud of.
I can see why. It was amazing. I was on that thing _all_the_time.
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