ImagiNation Network Revival

[Collector]

I believe that this has been brought up here, before, but there was an attempt to reengineer the old TSN (The Sierra Network) or later INN (ImagiNation Network) called Faux INN. Faux INN is a dead project, but the ImagiNation Network Revival has stepped up. It required that the user setup the program in DOSBox with the emulated modem enabled.

I have now repackaged it with one of my installers to automate it and simplify the process. All you need to do is run the installer and setup a profile as the program prompts you.

ImagiNation Network Revival DOSBox Installer

Give it a try and see what INN was like.

[DeadPoolX]

I did the modifications to my copy of DOSBox a long time ago. Maia did them too, but she recently wiped her computer.

I was on INN back when it was called TSN (1991 or so). I stayed until the network was bought by AOL and subsequently dismantled.

I don't know how much the INN Revival has working now. The last time I tried it the majority of SierraLand, LarryLand (later called CasinoLand when AT&T bought TSN and it became INN) and MedievaLand. The Clubhouse didn't have much going on (just two rooms) and several areas on and off the map didn't work: the school house, the mail box, hint section, bulletin boards, and the Arena.

What I remember most is playing Red Baron online in two-vs-two dogfights. That was awesome. Oh and I also recall my old mail box number: 23160.

[Tawmis]

The hint and the mailbox doesn't work on Faux Inn and I don't think they ever will as there is no "unique sign on" account creation. You just create your user name and you can put anything in for a password (different everytime if you so please) - so I don't think the mailbox will ever work. But everything else should work (all the lands).

[DeadPoolX]

I never expected it to work. I was just (perhaps unnecessarily) commenting on it. INN was different in that your mailbox was attached to a number (as I said, mine was 23160) and that meant anyone could have ANY name they wanted. That was nice in some ways, but really bad in others. There were lots of impostors floating about.

All the lands "might" work. Again, the last time I checked Red Baron wasn't operational and there was one area of MedievaLand missing. I also think some other games weren't working right. Overall, most of the network is running and that's a feat in of itself, especially considering it's all free.

There aren't a whole lot of people on it, but then again, why would there be? Most modern gamers would laugh at INN's graphics. They are bad for today, but in the early 1990s, those graphics were amazing when compared to the competition (Prodigy, CompuServe, GEnie, AOL and maybe a few others).

Given that most of us have DOSBox and it's easy to acquire a copy of INN online, I think it might be enjoyable for us all to meet on there. It'd be a pain to get everyone's time zones in sync, but if we could do it, we could have some fun. At least it'd be different and in real time.

[Tawmis]

Red Baron definitely works. The software client is missing (if you go to the Faux Inn site, the link is broken) - but I am probably just going to zip mine up and put it on one of my sites for download since I have the same version of the client that's used for Faux Inn (since I got it before the link became broken).

But yes, it would be fun to meet on there and be on familiar ground and chatting once again.

[DeadPoolX]

I think you're getting Faux INN confused with the INN Revival. Those are two different entities. Like Collector said, Faux INN is dead. The INN Revival, on the other hand, is still around.

I suppose that's a bit nitpicky, but the name can matter. I don't really care so long as the project is working.

[Collector]

No need for the zip. Just use the installer above.

[Tawmis]

OoOoh. I thought that was just for DOSBox! Mind if I email the link in the Faux Inn emailing list then?

[Collector]

You would have to send the link to this page. I have hotlinking disabled for some extensions, including EXEs because I was noticing a lot of leeching. The above link will work as this page is part of the site. I'll can setup a page for it.

[Tawmis]

I will link to this thread since it's in the open section and not the private section!

We might get more users too!

[DeadPoolX]

I'd like to see everyone get on INN, if only for a day. We could have a chat or some sort of "function" together.

[Tawmis]

I think this would be fun.

[DeadPoolX]

I had so many personas on INN. I can even remember a few of them. No, none of them were "DeadPoolX" (or even "DeadPool"). I started using that name on AOL in 1996.

Holy crap... I've been using the SAME NAME for 13 years!

[Tawmis]

I had so many personas on INN. I can even remember a few of them. No, none of them were "DeadPoolX" (or even "DeadPool"). I started using that name on AOL in 1996. Holy crap... I've been using the SAME NAME for 13 years!

Heh. On TSN/INN I went by the name of IMAGLoki for the most part.

I have gone through so many user names. Back in the days of the BBS I used to go by "Hugh the Hand" (from the Death Gate Cycle series - which is also what my own BBS - "The NeXuS" was based off of). Then I switched to "Adam-X" for most forums (comic book character) and "Tymber" for a lot of the ElfQuest forums and MUDs/MUSHs I was a part of. And then, on the Sierra forums I went by "Vaprakgruumsh" which is a combo of two deities from the Deties & Demigods book for D&D (troll and orc god), which was the name of my evil character on EverQuest. I also went by "Ravenflight" forever and a day it feels like from my EverQuest days. Now all the MMOs I ever play my character is usually named "Raven_______" because so many people called me Raven. Even when they met me in person in Vegas and we shared out real names - they'd call Paul, Paul (his character was Kullom) - but no, me, they always called Raven. Didn't matter that they knew my real name. *shakes head*

Now I go by Tawmis universally, unless I am on a forum that I have been on for a long time (like the ElfQuest forum, where I still go by Tymber). Which is funny because the people who know me as Tymber, call me Tymber on my Facebook.

[DeadPoolX]

Heh. On TSN/INN I went by the name of IMAGLoki for the most part.

I seem to recall SOMEONE by the name of "Loki" (or some variant thereof), but I doubt you were the only person to use that name. Where did you hang out most of the time? I was generally in the Clubhouse and chatting away in the Red Dragon Inn (or the RDI as referred to it).

I have gone through so many user names.

As I said, I went by different names on INN. I can clearly recall the following names: NightHawk, Shinobi and FAdmTolwyn. I know there were some others, but I can't seem to remember them.

My brother also played on INN. The two names he used were: SirReptile and RogerWilco.

You probably see the name "RogerWilco" and think, "Hey! That must be in reference to the Sierra character!" Well... yes and no. The name was taken from SQ, but my brother acted in a manner that would've been extremely odd for Roger.

For instance... I remember a scene in the RDI where a player named "Milady" had a baby. She was passing the kid around and the first person to hold the kid was a frequent chatter called "OlafTheRed." This is important for later.

Eventually the baby was passed to my brother (there as "RogerWilco"). Well, what did he do? He flung the baby out the window.

The following dialogue ensued:
[Milady] AAAHH! My child!
[OlafTheRed] How could you throw an innocent baby into the freezing cold and snow?
[RogerWilco] Snow? I thought that was concrete!

I fondly remember that incident.