    T H A N A T O S   M I N O R 

                        Created by Kregg Mowrey

                               Version 1.0
                               THANATOS.TXT
   


Thanatos Minor is a fast-paced blazing fun multiplayer level that lends
itself well to especially skilled pilots.  The better you are, the more
Thanatos Minor seems like home!  There are no robots to get in the way;
no bothersome key combinations to hinder you; no ridiculous
invulnerabilities; no frustrating bottlenecks that end up in stalemates;
in fact, you CAN'T STOP in this level!  If you stop, you will DIE!  (This
has been tested and it is indeed true.)

If you play this level with someone else and don't feel a rush of
adrenalin, then Email Kregg (71411,270) or Randy (75562,732) and play one
of us.  We guarantee a rush of adrenalin every 30 seconds or your money
back!

You may notice an extra file or two included in THANATOS.ZIP.  In
addition to the standard HOG file (THANATOS.HOG) and Mission file
(THANATOS.MSN), there is also a THANATOS.DTX file and a DTXPATCH.EXE
file.  These two files contain bitmaps that when applied, make Thanatos
Minor a personal experience to remember.  Run the DTXPATCH program in
your DESCENT directory to apply the patch.

Are you familiar with DTX, a DTX patch file, HOGS and PIGS?  If you still
think of a farm when you hear about hogs and pigs, read this short
explanation:

Descent uses two main resource files.  One is called the HOG file, the
other the PIG file.  DESCENT.HOG is a library file that contains DOS data
files for levels, soundtrack music, and other miscellaneous elements of
the game.  DESCENT.PIG contains other game resources, mainly graphics and
sounds.  The HOG file is easy to change; most people who create levels
make their own HOG file and put their level files in it.  The PIG file is
a different story.  Descent only runs one PIG file, regardless of the HOG
file being run, and the PIG file is not easy to change.

A real smart guy out there (Stefan Nilsson) wrote a program called DTX
that makes it possible to change the DESCENT.PIG file.  I don't know how,
but he did it.  Using DTX, one can create a patch file which contains the
necessary information to change the PIG.

So, if you want to personalize your Thanatos Minor experience, apply the
patch.  I am warning you now, though: If you run the patch, other levels
that use the bitmaps we changed will display the changed bitmaps.  In
other words, you are changing more than just Thanatos Minor, you are
changing Descent itself!  

There's no need to worry if you apply the patch.  DTXPATCH automatically
creates a backup of your original PIG file called DESCENT.PI~.  This also
means you'll need a little more than 5 meg free on that drive.  If you
decide to return to the original PIG, you simply move DESCENT.PI~ back to
DESCENT.PIG and you're good as new.

Syntax for the DTXPATCH file:
     DTXPATCH DESCENT.PIG THANATOS.DTX

Do this in your Descent directory after moving DTXPATCH.EXE and
THANATOS.DTX into it.  The patch takes a while to run, so don't panic     
when your hard drive goes nuts-- it's normal.

Play Thanatos Minor!  Enjoy Thanatos Minor!  Eat and drink Thanatos Minor!
Live and breathe Thanatos Minor!  Tell us what you think of 
Thanatos Minor!



Kregg "NULIFIER" Mowrey, Devil Wizard and creator of Thanatos Minor
                         (And this was his FIRST level!)
Compuserve: 71411,270
Email:  71411.270@compuserve.com


Randy "FUMIGATOR" Whitaker, Bitmap creator
Compuserve: 75562,732
Email:  75562.732@compuserve.com



If you are STILL sceptical about the DTX patch file, here's a list of the
bitmaps that will be changed:

Door04 ("Z" door with yellow stipes on it)              (12 bitmaps)
MISC039 (Mostly destroyed brown & yellow sign)          (1 bitmap)
MISC041 (brown & yellow Fuel 2A sign)                   (1 bitmap)
MISC046 (Mercury Solar Lab brown & yellow sign)         (1 bitmap)
MISC055 (Alpha brown & yellow sign)                     (1 bitmap)
MISC068 (grey planet monitor)                           (11 bitmaps)
MISC069 (yellow planet monitor)                         (10 bitmaps)

If you are STILL worried, then don't apply the patch, but PLAY THANATOS
MINOR!  Give it to your friends!  Play Thanatos Minor WITH your friends!


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