goldmine

Goldmine is a BBS door server

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⛏️ Gold Mine Community Door Server

gOLD mINE screen shot

gOLD mINE (named after a coin-op arcade near where aLPHA grew up) is a terminal-based Community Door Server for BBS games. Open to all, easy to access with modern BBS terminal software, like SyncTerm, MagiTerm or NetRunner.

gOLD mINE has Synchronet (Ubuntu 20.04 x64) under the hood, and runs on port 513 at 165.232.153.209.

It is not a BBS, despite using BBS software. There are no message boards or file download areas, and you can’t “login” to it like a traditional BBS. It does one thing, and one thing only: launch games remotely for users from other BBSs.

WHAT’S A ‘DOOR SERVER’?

If you run an old-school, terminal-based BBS (probably using new-school BBS software like Mystic, Synchronet, Talisman or ENiGMA½) you know that setting up door game programs can be time consuming and a headache. In their heydey of the 1980’s and 90s, these games where designed to run under DOS (or Win32) and were pretty finicky. Hunting down registration keys or cracks can be daunting (much is abandonware these days).

Oh, and if your BBS runs on modern Windows 64-bit, well, unless you can figure out how to use experimental NTVDMx64 and legacy FOSSIL drivers to run native 16-Bit DOS programs, your options are limited. And ARM-based systems like Raspberry Pi can’t even run dosemu, so you’d need to use programs like QEMU (powerful, but a complex setup for a BBS) or DOSBox (easier, but with no multi-node capabilities).

Phew.

So, a Door Server takes a lot of the work out of setup and lets you add 100’s of these games from a central service, almost immediately, running them over an RLOGIN connection that’s practically seamless for your users. And Linux users, no need for DOSEMU shenanigans. In fact, gOLD mINE can handle just about any kind of console-based game made for DOS, Linux or Windows. It also suport Synchronet Javascript-based games. With direct-door launching, it feels like users never leave yuor BBS!

The other benefit is a potentially larger player base, aggregating them in a centralized manner.

Also, please check out other door gamer servers like DoorParty, BBSLink, CombatNet, and Black Country Rock game servers. They’re all good choices. Hell, join them all!

JOIN GOLD MINE

Gold Mine no longer requires signup at Alpha Complex BBS. Just follow the directions below.

SETUP ON YOUR BBS

Setup an outbound RLOGIN connection from a menu item on your BBS to 165.232.153.209, port 513, using the settings below for your BBS ‘Tag.’

EXAMPLE: TALISMAN BBS

[[menuitem]]
command = "RUNSCRIPT"
hotkey = "D"
data = "goldmine"
local un = bbs_get_username()
bbs_clear_screen()
bbs_write_string("Loading GOLD MINE arcade...")
bbs_rlogin_ip4("165.232.153.209","513","","[TAG]"..un,"")

EXAMPLE: MYSTIC BBS

Add to your menu as IR - Outbound RLOGIN Connection

/addr=165.232.153.209 /user=[TAG]@USER@ /PROMPT

DIRECT LAUNCH

If you want to launch a door game directly from your BBS, bypassing the Gold Mine main menu:

Mystic (make sure you are using the most recent release):

/addr=165.232.153.209 /user=[TUG]@USER@ /term=xtrn=WORDLE /PROMPT

For Talisman, you can create a lua file in scripts that contains:

local un = bbs_get_username()
bbs_rlogin_ip4("165.232.153.209","513","","[TAG]"..un,"xtrn=mrc")

GoldMine Game Code List

I’m trying to make sure all games on gOLD mINE are fully registered. If you have a registered game you’d like to donate, please contact me.

DOOR NAME GENRE CODE ADDED
Yankee Trader Space YT 03/14/22
Grunt Fest RPGs: War, Present & Future GRUNTF 03/14/22
Godfather of Crime Adult GODFATHE 03/14/22
Camptown Races Leisure & Sports CAMPTOWN 03/14/22
Iron War RPGs: War, Present & Future IRONWAR 03/14/22
Escape Arcade Action ESCAPE 03/14/22
BBS Tris Action BBSTRIS 03/14/22
Five Card Stud Cards, Dice & Casino FIVECARD 03/14/22
Accordian Solitaire Cards, Dice & Casino AS 03/14/22
Rise To Power RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy RTP 03/14/22
Adventurer’s Maze II RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy AM2 03/14/22
Entertainment Awards Trivia Trivia AWARDS 03/14/22
Usurper RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy USURPER 03/14/22
Forbidden Planet DOS Text-Based PLANET 03/13/22
Showbiz Quiz Trivia SBQUIZ 03/13/22
Star Trek Quiz Trivia STQUIZ 03/13/22
Las Vegas Blackjack Cards, Dice & Casino LVBJACK 03/13/22
Las Vegas Keno Cards, Dice & Casino LVKENO 03/13/22
Las Vegas Video Poker Cards, Dice & Casino LVPOKER 03/13/22
Las Vegas Slots Cards, Dice & Casino LVSLOTS 03/13/22
Las Vegas Craps Cards, Dice & Casino LVCRAPS 03/13/22
MystMan Action MYSTMAN 03/13/22
Stellar Quest Space SQUEST 03/13/22
Stacktion Puzzle STACKTIO 03/12/22
GuTTeRBoWL Leisure & Sports GUTBOWL 03/12/22
King’s Crown RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy KC 03/11/22
Exitilus RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy EXIT 03/11/22
Global War RPGs: War, Present & Future GWAR 03/11/22
Forces of Darkness RPGs: War, Present & Future FOD 03/10/22
BBS Wordle Word Games WORDLE 03/10/22
DrugLord Adult DRUGLORD 03/09/22
Bordello Adult BORDELLO 03/09/22
Pimp Wars Adult PIMPWARS 03/09/22
Bordello Adult BORDELLO 03/09/22
Rancho Nevada Adult RN 03/09/22
Piss-o-Rama Action PISSORAM 03/09/22
Gooble Gooble Action GOOBLE 03/09/22
Lemons Action LEMONS 03/09/22
Chicken Delivery Action CHICKEN 03/09/22
4 Coner Checkers Board Game 4CORNERC 03/09/22
Bubble Boggle Board Game BOGGLE 03/09/22
Sea Battle Board Game SEABATTL 03/09/22
3-Pair Poker Cards, Dice & Casino 3PAIRPOK 03/09/22
Acey Deucy Cards, Dice & Casino ACEYDEUC 03/09/22
Baseball Dice Cards, Dice & Casino BBDICE 03/09/22
Blackjack Cards, Dice & Casino BLACKJAC 03/09/22
Box Poker Cards, Dice & Casino BOXPOKER 03/09/22
Dice Warz Cards, Dice & Casino DICEWARZ 03/09/22
Dice Warz ][ Cards, Dice & Casino DICEWAR2 03/09/22
Domain Poker Cards, Dice & Casino DPOKER 03/09/22
Milliway’s Casino Cards, Dice & Casino MILLIWAY 03/09/22
Synchronet Blackjack Cards, Dice & Casino SBJ 03/09/22
Star Stocks Cards, Dice & Casino STARSTOX 03/09/22
Tital Slots Cards, Dice & Casino TITANSLO 03/09/22
Zork I DOS Text-Based ZORK1 03/09/22
Zork II DOS Text-Based ZORK2 03/09/22
Zork III DOS Text-Based ZORK3 03/09/22
Beyond Zork DOS Text-Based BEYONDZ 03/09/22
Zork: Undiscovered Underground DOS Text-Based ZTUU 03/09/22
Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur DOS Text-Based ARTHUR 03/09/22
A Mind Forever Voyaging DOS Text-Based AMFV 03/09/22
Ballyhoo DOS Text-Based BALLYHOO 03/09/22
Border Zone DOS Text-Based BORDERZO 03/09/22
Bureaucracy DOS Text-Based BUREAUCR 03/09/22
Cutthroats DOS Text-Based CUTTHROA 03/09/22
Enchanter DOS Text-Based ENCHANTE 03/09/22
Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy DOS Text-Based HHGTG 03/09/22
Hollywood Hijinx DOS Text-Based HOLLYWOO 03/09/22
Infidel DOS Text-Based INFIDEL 03/09/22
Journey: The Quest Begins DOS Text-Based JOURNEY 03/09/22
The Lurkng Horror DOS Text-Based LURKING 03/09/22
Leather Goddesses of Phobos DOS Text-Based LEATHER 03/09/22
Sherlock: Riddle of the Crown Jewels DOS Text-Based SHERLOCK 03/09/22
Sorcerer DOS Text-Based SORCERER 03/09/22
Starcross DOS Text-Based STARCROS 03/09/22
Stationfall DOS Text-Based STATION 03/09/22
James Calvell’s SHOGUN DOS Text-Based SHOGUN 03/09/22
Moonmist DOS Text-Based MOONMIST 03/09/22
Nord and Bert DOS Text-Based NORDANDB 03/09/22
Planetfall DOS Text-Based PLANETFA 03/09/22
Plundered DOS Text-Based PLUNDERE 03/09/22
Seastalker DOS Text-Based SEASTALK 03/09/22
Spellbreaker DOS Text-Based SPELLBRE 03/09/22
Suspect DOS Text-Based SUSPECT 03/09/22
Suspended DOS Text-Based SUSPENDE 03/09/22
Trinity DOS Text-Based TRINITY 03/09/22
Wishbringer DOS Text-Based WISHBRIN 03/09/22
Witness DOS Text-Based WITNESS 03/09/22
Baseball Dice Leisure & Sports BBDICE 03/09/22
Fat Fish Leisure & Sports FATFISH 03/09/22
Synkroban Other SOKOBAN 03/09/22
Thirstyville Other THIRSTY 03/09/22
Port Victoria Other PORTVIC 03/09/22
Oregon Trail Other OREGONTR 03/09/22
Sim BBS Other SIMBBS 03/09/22
Synchronet Minesweeper Puzzle MSWEEPER 03/09/22
Uber Blox Puzzle UBERBLOX 03/09/22
Synchrotetris Puzzle TETRIS 03/09/22
Legend of the Red Dragon RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy LORD 03/09/22
LORD II: New World RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy LORD2 03/09/22
The Beast’s Domain RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy TBD 03/09/22
For Honour RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy FH 03/09/22
Death Masters RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy DEATHMAS 03/09/22
DoorMUD RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy DOORMUD 03/09/22
Dungeon Master RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy DM 03/09/22
Kannons and Katapults RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy KNK 03/09/22
Arrowbridge I RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy AB1 03/09/22
Arrowbridge II RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy AB2 03/09/22
LEGION RPG RPGs: Medieval & Fantasy LEGION 03/09/22
Colonies RPGs: War, Present & Future COLONIES 03/09/22
Atlantis RPGs: War, Present & Future ATLANTIS 03/09/22
Operation Overkill II RPGs: War, Present & Future OOII 03/09/22
Darkness 2 RPGs: War, Present & Future DARK2 03/09/22
Jedi Knight RPGs: War, Present & Future JEDI 03/09/22
Barren Realms Elite RPGs: War, Present & Future BRE 03/09/22
Betsy Ross Solitaire Solitaire Card BETSYROS 03/09/22
Galaxy 5 Space GALAXY5 03/09/22
Star Trek Space STARTREK 03/09/22
Trade Wars 2 - 500 Sectors Space TW2 03/09/22
Galactic Dynasty 2 Space GD2 03/09/22
Chain Reaction Word Games CHAINREA 03/09/22
Jeopardized! Word Games JEOPARDY 03/09/22
Wordem Word Games WORDEM 03/09/22
Sudoku Word Games SUDOKU 03/09/22