FAQs ::: Frequently Asked Questions 
Fiends Portal and Dragon Court 2
by Diane M. Jones
Updated: 6/20/2003

Back to Portal FAQs Overview


FAQ 1: GENERAL QUESTIONS
    

  1. What is DC II like?
    2. 

  2. What system do I need to play DC2?
    3. 

  3. How do I sign up for to play DC2?
    4. 

  4. How do I pay for the account?
    5. 

  5. How do I make extra accounts?
    6. 

  6. Why can't I find the games?
    7. 

  7. How do I use the Forums?
    8. 

  8. How do I check my DC2 mail?
    9. 

  9. Where is the Town Square chat room?
    10. 

  10. Why can't I chat or post In the forums?
    11. 

  11. Can I get EMails telling me when the game is updated?
    12. 






FAQ 1a: What is DC 2 Like?


For a Tour of the Portal, please see The Portal Preview 
which will give you some images and descriptions of what 
is behind the Portal gates.

(The Preview Page is also accessable from the Portal Home Page 
just click on the Guide holding the Preview sign)




FAQ 1b:  What are the system requirements?






FAQ 1c:  How do I sign up for the Portal and DC II?





FAQ 1d:  How do I pay for my Portal membership?





FAQ 1e:  How do I make exra accounts?





FAQ 1f: Why can't I find the games?



    


  1. You probably need a name.  You definitely will need to have
a name in order to play any of the games in the Portal.

  2. If you're just getting your Portal Membership and name approved
at the beginning of your membership, it might be a 'cache' setting 
in your browser.  If your browser doesn't check to see if the page
in it's memory has been updated, and your name has been approved, you
won't see your name approval until your browser again checks for
a new page.  The Cache setting on your browser will allow you to 
have your browser check the page online against the page in your 
browser's memory more frequently (you will be able to fine tune 
your choice on this setting to your personal needs). 

      

    • To change the Cache setting on your browser:


    • NETSCAPE:       

        

      1. From your toolbar choose "EDIT"

      2. --> under "edit" chose "Preferences" 

      3. Then, in that same left column, go into the "ADVANCED" selections 
You will see the "CACHE".  Click here, and in this window tell Netscape 
to compare the page in Cache to the network page 
'every time I view the page"

      4. In the left column click "Navigator" options...choose "HISTORY"
--->here you can 'clear history'  

      

    • INTERNET EXPLORER:

        

      1. On your top toolbar, go to "TOOLS" 

      2. --> chose "INTERNET OPTIONS" 

      3. In "Internet Options" see the top, far left tab, "GENERAL"

      4. In this "General" window, see TEMORARY INTERNET FILES 
(the middle control options) -->click the right option "settings" 
-->a new window opens on top of the window, and at the top select browser
option to "CHECK FOR NEWER VERSIONS OF STORED PAGES "EVERY VISIT TO 
THE PAGE" -->click ok

      5. Now you're back on the GENERAL Options Screen--> see the bottom 
History Setting where you might want to "Clear History" and 
make the number of days pages are kept in your History less to ensure 
you see new information on interactive web pages like the Potal.
    


  3. If you have a name, and find the games, but the games aren't 
there, this could be a browser, or non-java enabled browser issue.

  4. If you see where the Games should be but don't see the Games 
in these places, please see the "JAVA DETECTOR" Utility 
which can test to see if your Browser is Java Enabled.  
The Detector is mid way down the form of the Contact
Support Page.  The Detector is in yellow.  Mine says, "JVM 1.4".  
If you don't know if you have a JVM from this page, please 
stay on this page and write Support (Please enter a brief 
message here for staff describing what is happening).  

  5. If the "JAVA DETECTOR" confirms your browser IS Java Enabled,
Please see FAQ 4 for some more
basic Browser issues which may help you get right back into the game.

  6. AOL has a filter which is meant to censor access to some sites.  
Player's have found the wrong age appropriate setting can effect full 
access to Fiends.com games.

  7. If you have a Firewall, please see FAQ 1b.

  8. Work through these FAQ fixes, if you need further help, please 
Contact Support.





FAQ 1g:  How do I use the forums?



FORUM OVERVIEW
The message boards are organized into Zones, Forums, Topics and 
Replies.

  • Zones are collections of forums.  

  • Forums are message boards created by a single person.  

  • Topics are messages that start a topic on a forum.  

  • Replies are replies to messages AND replies to other replies.

      

    1. When you enter a Zone you will be shown a number of Forums.  

    2. Pick a Forum to enter.  

    3. Within the Forum you will see a list of Topics.  

    4. Pick a Topic to examine.  

    5. There you will see a Message followed by a list of Replies.
    

    POSTING TO FORUMS

    1. You receive 80 posting points every day.  

      1. These points should refresh at the rate of 1 point every 
20 minutes.

      2. Over the course of 24 hours ALL your posting points should 
return. 

      3. (NOTE: future implementations will allow viewers to receive 
more posting points based on participation).
      

    2. The cheapest way to post a message is to Reply to a Topic.  
Replying to a Topic only costs 3 points. 

    3. Creating a new Topic costs 15 points. 

    4. You can also Comment on a message for only 1 point.

    5. You can create your OWN Forum for 60 points.
        

      1. Forum owners can post new topics, replies and comments 
within their forum for fewer points than other viewers.

      2. You can only create one Forum at a time; so if you want to 
create another Forum, you will have to erase the old Forum.  

      3. You erase your old Forum by moving into that Forum, 
then looking for the 'Moderation' link inside the title 
bar.  Clicking on 'Moderation' will allow you to erase the old 
Forum.

      4. (NOTE: there is no easy way to find out where your forum is 
located.  We are working on a feature to make this information 
available.)
    

    FORUM MODERATION


  • There are two forms of moderation within the message boards.
  

    1. If you have created a forum, then you have the power 
to erase messages within your own forum.  

      1. Forum owners can erase messages within their own 
forums for free.  Look for the 'Moderation' link within the title 
bar.  By clicking on this, forum owners can remove unwanted messages 
at no cost.  Forum owners can also post new topics, replies and comments 
within their forum for fewer points than other viewers.
      

    2. If you like/dislike a message within another forum, then you can 
add a 'comment' to that message.

      1. Adding comments will alter the rating of a message.  
By changing the rating, you make a message more/less visible to 
other viewers.

      2. Messages can have ratings from -100% to +100%.  

      3. New messages have a rating of +0%.   
    
    VIEWING FORUMS


  • You can change how the message boards are displayed for you.  
Look for the link 'Change Settings' between the title bar and 
the reply bar.  Clicking here takes you to a page which allows you to 
change the settings used to display your message pages.


    1. MESSAGES PER PAGE - will let you display more or 
fewer messages in a single page.  When there are more messages that can 
be displayed on a single page, then new links will appear: Next, Last.  
These will take you to further pages with more messages.

    2. MESSAGE RATING THRESHOLD - this will remove low rated messages 
from your display.  The default value of +0% will display unrated messages 
and all positively rated messages, while removing negatively rated messages.

    3. MESSSAGE ORDERING - this will change the order in which messages 
are displayed.  

        

      1. The default 'Order by Creation' shows the most recent messages 
first.  

      2. You can also order by 'Update', 'Rating' and 'Traffic'.  

      3. Update shows the messages that recieved the most recent reply.  

      4. Rating shows the messages with the higheset ratings.  

      5. Traffic show the messages with the most replies.
    




    FAQ 1h: How do I check my DC2 mail?

    


  • In DC 2, there is no in game mail, instead, there is
live in game player to player trade, and an auction channel.

  • You can also create your own forum, or use an existing forum,
to get messages to other players for arranging rendevous, etc.




    FAQ 1i:  Where is the Town Square chat room?

    

    FAQ 1i:  Where is the Town Square chat room?


  • The whole world of DC II is a Chat Room.  Of course, you can still 
chat from Salamander Towne.  You can also chat all over the world, 
plus you have 9 channels to customize your chatting environment.

  • See FAQ 3b: Overview Of Chat Functions for more details on using that chat features.





    FAQ 1j:  Why can't I chat or post In the forums?

    


  • The name you select for your Portal Identity is subject to APPROVAL. 
You will be able to play the games without approval, but until your name 
is approved you won't be able to chat, post messages or be recorded on 
score boards. 

  • Your name may be rejected, in which case you can select another name.  

  • To test if this is the reason why you can't chat, type: "/p all" (without 
the quotation marks"") in the text line of Dragon Court 2.  This command 
is to "peer all" in DC 2 World; in other words, see all the players 
in Dragon Court 2.  

  • If your name is approved, the /p all command should show you in the list
as well as your location in the DC 2 world.

  • If you don't see anything when you enter /p all in the Chat Line, 
or just do not see your Portal Identity Name in the list, your name has 
probably not been approved.

  • You will know your name is approved when the Portal Pages say "Welcome"
to your Portal Identity Name.  

  • Please contact Fiends.com Staff using the Support Page if you have 
problems chatting and your name is approved.  




    FAQ 1k: Can I get EMails telling me when the game is updated?

    


You Bet!


  • You will need to set up your Portal Registration Controls which
specify which Fiends.com News Letters you would like to receive.
  

  • There are currently four news letter options available:

    1. Portal Updates

    2. DC2 Updates

    3. Site Updates

    4. DC1 Updates
    

  • When you first log into the Portal, you will see a 
Manilla Folder stamped: "PORTAL CONTROLS".

  • In the PORTAL CONTROLS folder you will find many useful
controls including the one for Portal News Mailings.

  • Chose #1, "Set Mailing Options".

  • On the Mailing Options Page you can select what newsletters
you want to receive.

  • This page is always available to you so you can always
make changes to what you want to, or no longer want to receive.


    •