Dungeon Master - Chaos Strikes Back Documentation
The pushbuttons, pressure pads, counters, etc. that are used in DM/CSB all have pretty much the same format and flags but their operation at runtime is very different and depends on special cases in the code. All of these devices have been named actuators (by yours truly). I have tried to outline the actual operation of each kind of actuator in the form of a sort of flowchart. Actuator Documentation
All of the action (opening doors, moving monsters, etc) in DM and CSB is operated by Timers. When you press a switch, a timer is created. A timer has a 'Target' cell (Level, X, Y). A Timer has a 'Timer Type' which depends on the type of cell (Trick Wall, Door, etc.) at its target. A timer has an 'Action' (Set, Clear, or Toggle). Here are diagrams of the various Timer Types:

- Type 7 - Directed at a Trick Wall

Monsters in DM/CSB move about and respond to the party in rather complex ways. I have started a project to understand monster AI. Complete understanding will probably always elude me.
Many people have asked about how to calculate the damage done when the party attacks a monster. Recently, a bug in the original Atari code caused me to look into this matter a bit deeper. The result is in Attack Computations.
The DM/CSB clock is described here.
The Palettes are described here.
A CSBuild DSA example is described here. It is a little bit complicated but it shows off a LOT of function.
A compressed copy of all the documentation.
I would love to have help/company in these endeavors.
Paul Stevens
name = prsteven
domain = facstaff.wisc.edu