[Kuddy]

(As of 1/2/2010, this is probably out of date and needs to be looked over. I'll do that sometime soon.)

This FAQ was formerly on a separate page, which was linked to in a pinned thread. I recently figured that it would be easier to just make a thread for this that can be freely edited, so that people wouldn't have to administer as many clicks to find it, and so I wouldn't have to be hindered by any issues I may have with the FTP system (inability to login, forgotten password, etc.). I'll continually update this thread at my leisure as I find questions that get asked more and more often. If you have a question about MZX or community access or whatever, I suggest you check the FAQ to see if it's already answered. Found a frequently asked question that's missing from this FAQ? Click the email link below and let me know about it.

MEGAZEUX

• How can I get the MZX port to go into fullscreen mode?
  
• How come my music stops playing after I save/test the world?
  
• How can I get DOS MZX to work under Windows (NT, 2000, XP)?
  
• Where can I find (insert game name here)?
  
• How do I take screenshots?
  
• How can I make my own music for my game?
  
• What are sprites, and how do I use them?
  
• What is SMZX mode, and how do I use it?
  
• The zipfile for Final Fantasy: Dynasty Prelude is locked! Does anyone know the password?
  
• Where are each of the external programs used to edit character sets?
  
• How do I convert GDM files to MOD/S3M format?
  
• How do I convert MIDI files to MOD/S3M/GDM format? (coming soon)

COMMUNITY

• How do I get on IRC? / What MZX-related IRC channels are there? / What is #mzx?
  
• How do you get a custom member title on the forums?
  
• WTF is with these cards people are using as their avatars? Can I have one?
  
• OMG WHAT HAPPEND TO ZEUXWORLD?????
  
• Where did the Arcade go?

SOURCE CODE

• Help! I can't compile the DOS MZX's source code!
  
• Is there any work being done on an MZX port for Windows?
  
• Is it possible to make it so N colors can be used in a character?
  
• What about true 3D support? I wanna see more console-like games done in MZX!

[Kuddy]

MEGAZEUX

How can I get the MZX port to go into fullscreen mode?
The hotkey to toggle screen modes in the port is CTRL-ALT-ENTER. Alternatively, one can set fullscreen = 1 in the config.txt file (without the # sign).

How come my music stops playing after I save/test the world, or doesn't loop?
There is a 95% chance that the mod you used has a filename with more than 12 characters in it. The current MZX world format allocates a fixed length string 12 characters long to store the mod file for each board, so anything longer than 12 characters gets clipped when you save. Change the name of the file to something shorter, or load the mod with a robot at runtime, and it'll work fine.

How can I get DOS MZX to work?
Don't bother, use a current version.

Where can I find (insert game name here)?
The archive here at DigitalMZX (DigitalMZX) is your best bet; it's regularly updated with new and old additions. The Antiarchive is a decent stockpile for more obscure MZX titles that can't be obtained elsewhere. Most or all AA games are incorporated into DMZX's archive so check there first.

How do I take screenshots?
In the Windows versions of MZX, you can simply press F12 to take a screenshot at any time. Screenshots taken using F12 are saved as 256-color BMPs and should be converted to a lossless compressed format like GIF or PNG before being uploaded for public viewing.

How can I make my own music for my game?
Some good programs you can use to create music are Scream Tracker 3.21 (S3M), Impulse Tracker 2.14 (S3M, IT), Fast Tracker 2 (MOD, XM), and Modplug Tracker, which I have found to be the most favored among the community due to its Windows functionality. Current versions of MZX support most module formats (MOD, S3M, XM, IT, and several more obscure ones), can convert GDM to S3M as they're played (for compatability), and support OGG. All formats are supported both as music (looping, one at a time) and sound effects (several at once, end when they're done).

What are sprites, and how do I use them?
A sprite is an entity that is separate from both the main area and overlay of a board. Parameters including its location, size, and collision box are specified through counters in a robot's code, and robotic is used to move it from area to area on the board. For more information, consult the MZX help file, or check out the sprite demonstration, which will soon be available from DigitalMZX. Sai'ke has written a good tutorial for sprites, which you can read by clicking here.

What is SMZX mode, and how do I use it?
SMZX mode is a modification to MZX's graphics which cuts the resolution in half (to 320x350), but allows the use of four colors per character. For more information, read the MZX help file, or check out MagiCow's tutorial for SMZX mode.

The zipfile for Final Fantasy: Dynasty Prelude is locked! Does anyone know the password?
The password is "sqmzx". Soon, though, we should be uploading a version that's not password-protected.

Where are each of the external programs used to edit character sets?
Fontutil, used for quick swapping of certain characters between char sets, is packed in with any version of the Megazeux Encyclopedia. The other three utilities (Charcon, Char Works, and Char Tools) can all be obtained from Zeuxworld, and soon on DigitalMZX.

How do I convert GDM files to MOD/S3M format?
The latest versions of MZX (from 2.80 up) can automatically convert a GDM to an S3M whenever a robot or board tells it to play one.

[Kuddy]

COMMUNITY

How do I get on IRC? / What MZX-related IRC channels are there? / What is #mzx?

There are several MegaZeux-related chat channels on IRC. If you wish to visit these channels, you need an IRC client. Some of the more commonly used clients are mIRC and XiRCON for Windows, Ircle for MacOS, and XChat for Linux (there is also a Windows version available).
KVIrc is also available for Linux and Windows and is awesome, and you should use it.

A list of IRC channels related to MZX can be found on the front page under IRC Room list; at the moment, however, this section is slightly outdated. The main MZX-related IRC channels are all on Slashnet at the moment (irc.slashnet.org:6667). #mzx is, and has been for quite a while, the center of the MZX IRC community.

How do you get a custom member title on the forums?
You can set your own member title once you've reached 100 posts. This does NOT mean you should post nonsense just for the sake of reaching 100, however.

WTF is with these cards people are using as their avatars? Can I have one?
They're custom CFC cards. In the summer of 2002, Trev-MUN decided to make CFC cards for whoever wanted them so he could practice his drawing abilities. DO NOT PM TREV ASKING HIM FOR A CARD. HE IS NO LONGER MAKING THEM.

OMG WHAT HAPPEND TO ZEUXWORLD?????
Zeuxworld is dead, and it's all ZzCrook's fault. Get over it.

Where did the Arcade go?
It's gone for good. The stupidity in that forum was so bad that we couldn't even be bothered to look at it, let alone moderate it. Any attempt to start a game thread in the Junkyard will be dealt with harshly. Of course, if we see you as an outstanding member, you might have a chance to play forum games in some form...

[Kuddy]

SOURCE CODE

Help! I can't compile the DOS MZX's source code!
Don't bother. It's horrible and obsolete.

Instructions for the current version are included in build.txt. Be sure you have SDL, vorbis, and a decently functioning build environment. It's currently known to build for Windows, Linux, and MacOS X.

Is there any work being done on an MZX port for Windows?
Yes, by Exophase. The beta and source have already been released to the public.

Is it possible to make it so N colors can be used in a character?
It's not virtually possible; the closest thing to something like this is SMZX mode. It allows crossfading of colors through character editing to grant a 256-color palette, at the cost of reducing the resolution of characters to 4x14.

What about true 3D support? I wanna see more console-like games done in MZX!
The possibility that 3D support is going to be considered for MegaZeux is extremely small. It's an ANSI GCS, and trying to add 3D to something like that would be impossible. Besides, it's best left as ANSI anyway, since that's what it was created as. Some attempts at raycasting in MZX have been done, though...