The 8 most frequently asked questions (FAQ) for the Mac game of Bolo are answered here. This will get you going, but you should still read the longer rec.games.bolo FAQ. --Jolo

Last updated 6/07/2001

The official version of the Bolo FAQ is at <http://www.lgm.com/bolo/guides/>

Contents

1. What is Bolo?
2. Where do I get Bolo?
3. Where do I get Bolo for Windows/Linux?
4. How do I play Bolo on the Internet? or What's the tracker address?
5. All I have is a modem, can I still play bolo?
6. Where can I find Bolo codes or hacks??
7. Where are some Bolo web pages?
8. How do I get on IRC? or Who will answer my questions live?

1. What is Bolo?

Bolo is a multi-player networked tank battle game for the Macintosh only, featuring real-time graphics, strategy, and arcade action. It is a classic shareware game written by Stuart Cheshire. New players should note that the author no longer develops or supports the game, although there is a small but strong community of players who have been playing for years and probably will continue to do so indefinitely. Those same players have also provided free support and many unofficial modifications or utilities for the game. For an excellent introduction, check out the Bolo Home Page <http://www.lgm.com/bolo/> which also has multimedia guides, game snapshots, player registries, etc.

2. Where do I get Bolo?

I highly recommend the Bolo Starter Pack which you may find in the Bolo Archive at <http://www.lgm.com/bolo/archive/>. This includes everything you need to get started with Internet Bolo. If you just need the latest version (0.99.7bv) by itself, you may find it there as well. There are also directions there for accessing the Bolo FTP archive to get helper applications, illustrated guides, thousands of maps, etc. If you're looking for anything related to Bolo, always check there first.

3. Where do I get Bolo for Windows/Linux?

There were several clone projects, but only one was finished and publicly released: WinBolo/LinBolo by John Morrison. These are semi-official Bolo clones for Windows and Linux and may be downloaded today. Although Stuart Cheshire endorsed the finished products, WinBolo/LinBolo was reverse engineered without Stuart's help and thus there are many subtle differences with Mac Bolo. Note that WinBolo and LinBolo are network-compatible with each other, but neither are network-compatible with the original Mac Bolo.

4. How do I play Bolo on the Internet? or What's the tracker address?

There are no Bolo "servers." To play Bolo on the internet, every Mac is connected together in a ring topology without anybody acting as a server. Every game is registered to a central "tracker" so that you can find out who is playing at any moment. The tracker address is bolotrack.cass.usu.edu or use the alternate at tracker.lgm.com. Those are web links so you can check the tracker with your web browser such as Netscape or IE. If using telnet or if you're configuring the "BoloTracker" option within Bolo itself, use port 50000 instead.

To start or join an Internet Bolo game

Follow these easy steps:

1. Your Mac must have either a direct ethernet connection (such as at work or school) or an indirect one (such as by modem, DSL, or cable). If your Mac has its own IP and can access the network such as to browse the web, you are all set.
2. Download the latest version of Bolo, currently 0.99.7bv, either as part of the Bolo Starter Pack or by itself from the Bolo Archive. This will have the right tracker address already set for you. (Otherwise you will need to manually reset it once. After you launch Bolo, click the "UDP/IP" button, then on the next screen click on the "BoloTracker" button and type in a tracker from the list above, with port number 50000.)
3. To start a new game, which is recommended for new players or those with slow modems, launch Bolo and click on the "UDP/IP" button. You may then start a new game and wait for others to join you (this is recommended for new players or people with modem connections).
4. You may join existing games if you have a reasonably fast connection and some basic playing experience. Find games using "Internet Bolo Buddy" which is also available as part of the Bolo Starter Pack or separately at the Bolo Archive. Launch Internet Bolo Buddy to see the IP addresses of current games registered to the North American tracker. You may switch trackers using the popup menu, or join games by clicking on the IP address. Alternatively, use the web or telnet links to the trackers listed in the previous question.
5. To join games manually, such as if you know your friend is waiting for you at IP address "com999.oakcanyon.alpine.k12.ut.us", copy that IP address, launch Bolo, click "UDP/IP", paste the IP into the blank for "Machine name (or IP address)", and click "Join".

Bugs in OS 9: There are several weird DNS-related Bolo bugs under OS 9.x, thankfully not seen in OS X. For example, new games may or may not be registered to the tracker, nobody fully understands why. As a workaround, after you start a game, you must access the tracker from the same Mac (using telnet, web, or Bolo Buddy). The tracker will then start to ping your Mac and your game will show up properly. As another example, sometimes the hostnames don't show up in the player list and you just get "unknown machine name". To avoid that, at the dialog where you select new game or enter the IP address of machine to join, you need to do this silly dance: Cancel, Okay, {New|Join}. Likewise, to enter a different tracker address: Cancel, Okay, Bolotracker, enter new tracker hostname, Okay.

Important: You should always observe the etiquette of joining games. Failure to do so may result in you being shunned by other players or denied access to the tracker.

5. All I have is a modem, can I still play bolo?

With a 56 kbaud modem and a good internet service provider, you can sometimes play 1x1 (Bolo parlance for 1-on-1) or even 2x2 games, but it will be extremely laggy. Your best bet is to get some form of "broadband to the home" connection, such as DSL or cable modem service which is becoming very popular and economical now. Contact your local telephone or cable TV company, respectively, or ask your current ISP.

As stated before, observe netiquette of joining games. Because of modem lag, never join existing games unless explicitly invited. Instead, start your own game and wait for others to join you. Never join games that have already started or have >4 players, and always leave immediately if asked to do so.

6. Where can I find Bolo codes or hacks?

Bolo is not some first-person shooter game. There are no codes or cheats, because the point of Bolo is not to advance to really high levels or to overcome impossible odds against the computer, but rather to compete against other human players within the fair rules of the game. If you are looking for 'tricks' to kill pills easier or otherwise improve your tactical skills, check out the Bolo Guides at <http://www.lgm.com/bolo/guides/> which include Deadsy's Multimedia Pillbox Guide.

There are also no hacks available, because in a multiplayer game, anything that favors you would be unfair to the other people. If you cheat, you will be identified very quickly, nobody will play with you, and your tracker access may be taken away so that you cannot find games.

7. Where are some Bolo web pages?

Bolo home page

<http://www.lgm.com/bolo/>

The source of all Bolo information: the best introduction to the game, multimedia guides, etc.

Bolo News

<http://www.lgm.com/bolo/news/>

The latest news regarding Bolo, up to date and complete!

Bolo Hotlist

<http://www.lgm.com/bolo/links/>

The most complete list of Bolo links.

Bolo links by Stuart Cheshire

<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/Bolo.html>

a more out of date list by He Who Made Bolo.

8. How do I get on IRC? or Who will answer my questions live?

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) lets you talk simultaneously with multiple people over the Internet. Use a web browser to visit www.irchelp.org to learn more about IRC or download various Macintosh clients or ircII for UNIX. The Bolo IRC channel is currently on MysticalNet. To get there, issue the following commands in your IRC client:

/server irc.mystical.net
/join #bolo

That will connect you to one of their three servers randomly. Lately it seems that some of those servers are having trouble, so you may want to just use the one that most of us hang out on, and directly
/server excalibur.ga.us.mystical.net

You can find games on IRC, because the tracker automatically reports all new games there. You can also chat about Bolo or ask for help/advice. Be patient, people are often away for a few minutes, but if you hang out on the channel, somebody should get back to you.

Now that you've read this short FAQ, you are ready to dig into the much more detailed Rec.Games.Bolo FAQ at <http://www.lgm.com/bolo/guides/longfaq.html>. If you have specific questions that are not answered by these FAQs, ask on IRC or post them to the Usenet newsgroup rec.games.bolo. -Jolo