diff --git a/Adventurer.java b/Adventurer.java
index 2a468f0..4e95b75 100644
--- a/Adventurer.java
+++ b/Adventurer.java
@@ -15,14 +15,15 @@ public class Adventurer extends Thread {
 	private static ArrayList<Boolean> need_assistance = new ArrayList<Boolean>();
 	private MainThread mainThread;
 	private boolean isWaitingForDragon=false;
+	private int errorchek=0;
 	
 	//constructor will set the fortuneSize,adventurerId,stones,rings,chains,earring,mainThread, and need_assitance variables
 	public Adventurer(int id, int fortuneSize, MainThread parentThread) throws Exception
 	{
-		stones=getRandomInt()%1;
-		rings=getRandomInt()%1;
-		chains=getRandomInt()%1;
-		earrings=getRandomInt()%1;
+		stones=getRandomInt()%4;
+		rings=getRandomInt()%4;
+		chains=getRandomInt()%4;
+		earrings=getRandomInt()%4;
 		adventurerId=id;				    
 		need_assistance.add(false);// The assistance array initializes to false
 		setName("Adventurer-"+(id+1));
@@ -71,7 +72,6 @@ public void run()
 		try {
 			joinAdventurers();
 		} catch (InterruptedException e) {
-			// TODO Auto-generated catch block
 			e.printStackTrace();
 		}
 		msg("is done "+"\n");
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ private synchronized void joinAdventurers() throws InterruptedException
 	{
 		if(mainThread.stillLiveAdventurer())
 		{
+			msg("has joined another adventurer"+"\n");
 			mainThread.getAliveAdventurer().join();
 		}
 	}
@@ -120,14 +121,22 @@ private synchronized void shop()
 	{
 		msg("has entered the shop");
 		need_assistance.set(adventurerId, true);
+		//mainThread.setAssistance(adventurerId);
 		mainThread.joinShopLine(this);
 		msg("is now busy-waiting");
-		while(need_assistance.get(adventurerId)){}		// this is the busy-wait, waiting for the clerk at the shop
+		while(need_assistance.get(adventurerId)){
+			errorchek++;
+			if(errorchek%1000000==0)msg("is stuck in the busy wait");
+		}		// this is the busy-wait, waiting for the clerk at the shop
+		//while(mainThread.needAssistance(adventurerId)){}
 		msg("has got help");
 		makeMagicItems();
 		msg("has left the shop");
 	}
-	public void getAssistance(){ need_assistance.set(adventurerId,false);}
+	public void getAssistance()
+	{ 
+		need_assistance.set(adventurerId,false);
+	}
 	
 	private void makeMagicItems()
 	{
diff --git a/Clerk.java b/Clerk.java
index cc85782..0578b2f 100644
--- a/Clerk.java
+++ b/Clerk.java
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ public Clerk(int id, MainThread parentThread) throws Exception
 	public void run()
 	{
 		msg("has been made");
-		while(mainThread.stillLiveAdventurer())
+		while(mainThread.checkForLivingThreads())
 		{
 			helpCustomers();	
 		}
-		msg("has terminated because there are no more adventurers");
+		msg("has terminated because there are no more adventurers"+"\n");
 	}
 		
 
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ private synchronized void helpCustomers()
 		if(mainThread.isShopLineEmpty()!=true)
 		{
 			msg("is about to help a waiting customer");
+			try
+			{
 			mainThread.getNextInShopLine().getAssistance();
+			}
+			catch(Exception e){}
+			msg("has helped the customer");
 			
 		}
 	    
diff --git a/Dragon.java b/Dragon.java
index f06a3de..0fb0b08 100644
--- a/Dragon.java
+++ b/Dragon.java
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ public Dragon(MainThread parentThread)
 	public void run()
 	{
 		msg("has been made");
-		while(mainThread.stillLiveAdventurer())
+		while(mainThread.checkForLivingThreads())
 		{
 	
 		}
-		msg("is done");
+		msg("is done"+"\n");
 	}
 /*	
 	private Adventurer pickPlayer()
diff --git a/Main.java b/Main.java
index 608421b..abaff54 100644
--- a/Main.java
+++ b/Main.java
@@ -3,7 +3,44 @@ public class Main{
 	// finally, all the main method does is create the Main class and start that thread
 	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
 	{
-		 MainThread questAdventure = new MainThread();
+		int num_adv=0;
+		int num_fortuneSize=0;
+		// if there are no arguments we use the defaults
+		if (args.length == 0)
+		{
+			num_adv = 6;
+			num_fortuneSize = 5;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// if there are arguments we check them and then use them if they are valid
+			try
+			{
+				if (args.length != 2) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
+			}
+			catch (IllegalArgumentException e)
+			{
+				System.out.println(e);
+				System.exit(0);
+			}
+			try
+			{
+				num_adv = Integer.parseInt(args[0]);
+				num_fortuneSize = Integer.parseInt(args[1]);
+			}
+			catch (Exception e)
+			{
+				System.out.println("the argumets weren't integers");
+				System.exit(0);
+			}
+			// make sure they are positive 
+			if (num_adv < 1 || num_fortuneSize < 1)
+			{
+				System.out.println("the arguments weren't positive");
+				System.exit(0);	
+			}
+		}
+		 MainThread questAdventure = new MainThread(num_adv,num_fortuneSize);
 		 System.out.println("we made a Main object and are about to start all the threads");
 		 questAdventure.start();
 	}
diff --git a/MainThread.java b/MainThread.java
index b58e120..fca4a32 100644
--- a/MainThread.java
+++ b/MainThread.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.InputMismatchException;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.Queue;
 import java.util.Scanner;
@@ -8,13 +9,14 @@
 public class MainThread extends Thread{
 	private Clerk[] clerks;
 	private Adventurer[] adventurers;
-	private Boolean[] aliveAdventurers;
+	private Boolean[] adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure;
+	private Boolean[] need_assistance;
 	private LinkedQueue<Adventurer> shopLine = new LinkedQueue<Adventurer>();
 	private Dragon dragon;
 	private boolean shopLineLock=false;
-	private int num_adv=6;
+	private int num_adv=0;
 	private int num_clerk=2;
-	private int num_fortuneSize=5;
+	private int num_fortuneSize=0;
 	
 	// the run method calls the start method on all the other threads the main thread has created
 	public void run()
@@ -25,16 +27,22 @@ public void run()
 		return;
 	}
 	// this is the constructor for the Main class
-	public MainThread() throws Exception
+	public MainThread(int adv_num, int fortune_size) throws Exception
 	{ 
-		//first we get the input from the user on how many clerks and adventurers we will be making	
-		num_adv=getInput("how many adventurers do you want?");
-		num_clerk=getInput("how many clerks do you want?");
+		//num_adv=getInput("how many adventurers do you want?",0);
+		//num_clerk=getInput("how many clerks do you want?",1);
+		//num_fortuneSize=getInput("whats the fortune size?",2);
+		
+		num_adv=adv_num;
+		num_fortuneSize=fortune_size;
+		
+		
 		
 		// next we make the arrays where we will store are the clerk and adventurer threads
 		clerks= new Clerk[num_clerk];
 		adventurers = new Adventurer[num_adv];
-		aliveAdventurers= new Boolean[num_adv];
+		adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure= new Boolean[num_adv];
+		need_assistance = new Boolean[num_adv];
 		 
 		/* now we make all the clerks,adventurers and the dragon
 		 * the shared variables are stored in this class, so we pass it to each thread we make	 
@@ -42,7 +50,8 @@ public MainThread() throws Exception
 		for(int i =0; i<num_adv;i++)
 		{
 			adventurers[i]= new Adventurer(i,num_fortuneSize,this);
-			aliveAdventurers[i]=true;
+			adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure[i]=true;
+			need_assistance[i]=false;
 		}
 		for(int i =0; i<num_clerk;i++)
 		{
@@ -54,93 +63,107 @@ public MainThread() throws Exception
 	public void initThreads()
 	{
 		System.out.println("we are in the initThreads method");	
-		for(int i=0;i<num_clerk;i++)
-		{
-			clerks[i].start();
-		}
+		
 		for(int i=0; i<num_adv;i++)
 		{
 			adventurers[i].start();
 		}
+		for(int i=0;i<num_clerk;i++)
+		{
+			clerks[i].start();
+		}
 		dragon.start();
 	}
 	
-	// this method takes in the user input for how many clerks they want or how many adventurers they want
-	private int getInput(String question) throws IOException
-	{
-		Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
-		boolean getInput=true;
-		int output=0;
-		while(getInput)
-		{
-			System.out.print(question);
-		    try
-		    {
-		    	output=sc.nextInt();
-		    }
-		    catch (NumberFormatException e)
-		    {
-		    	System.out.println("that wasn't a number, try that again");
-		    }
-		    if(output<1) System.out.println("that was too low of a number"+"\n");
-			else getInput=false;
+	public boolean needAssistance(int id){
+		boolean x;
+		synchronized(this){
+			x=need_assistance[id];
 		}
-		return output;
+		return x;
 	}
 	
-	
-	public synchronized boolean  isShopLineEmpty()
+	public void setAssistance(int id)
 	{
-		shopLock();
-		boolean x = shopLine.isEmpty();
-		shopUnlock();
-		return x;
+		synchronized(this)
+		{
+		need_assistance[id]=true;
+		}
 	}
-	private synchronized void shopUnlock()
-	{
-		shopLineLock=false;
+	public void gotAssitance(int id){
+		synchronized(this)
+		{
+			need_assistance[id]=false;
+		}
 	}
-	private synchronized void shopLock()
+	public boolean  isShopLineEmpty()
 	{
-	 while(shopLineLock){}
-	 shopLineLock=true;
+		boolean x;
+		synchronized(this)
+		{
+		 x = shopLine.isEmpty();
+		}
+		return x;
 	}
-	public synchronized Adventurer getNextInShopLine()
+	public  Adventurer getNextInShopLine()
 	{
-		shopLock();
-		Adventurer x= shopLine.dequeue();
-		shopUnlock();
+		//shopLock();
+		Adventurer x;
+		synchronized(this)
+		{
+			x= shopLine.dequeue();
+		}
+		//shopUnlock();
 		return x;
 	}
-	public synchronized void joinShopLine(Adventurer adv){
-		shopLock();
-		shopLine.enqueue(adv);
-		System.out.println(adv.getName() +" has entered the shop line");
-		shopUnlock();
+	public  void joinShopLine(Adventurer adv){
+		//shopLock();
+		synchronized(this)
+		{
+			shopLine.enqueue(adv);
+			System.out.println(adv.getName() +" has entered the shop line");
+		}
+		//shopUnlock();
+	}
+	public synchronized boolean checkForLivingThreads(){
+		for(int i=0;i<num_adv;i++){
+			if(adventurers[i].isAlive()) return true;
+		}
+		return false;
 	}
 	public synchronized boolean stillLiveAdventurer()
 	{
 		
 		for(int i=0; i<num_adv;i++)
 		{
-			if (aliveAdventurers[i]==true)return true;
+			if (adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure[i]==true)return true;
 		}
 		return false;
 	}
 	 public void setAliveAdventurers (int i)
 	{
-		aliveAdventurers[i]=false;
+		 adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure[i]=false;
 	}
 	public synchronized Adventurer getAliveAdventurer()
 	{
 		for(int i=1;i<num_adv;i++)
 		{
-		if(aliveAdventurers[i]) return adventurers[i];	
+		if(adventurersThatStillNeedTreasure[i]) return adventurers[i];	
 		}
 		return adventurers[0];
 	}
-	
 	/*
+	 *  
+	private synchronized void shopUnlock()
+	{
+		shopLineLock=false;
+	}
+	private synchronized void shopLock()
+	{
+	 while(shopLineLock){}
+	 shopLineLock=true;
+	}
+	
 	synchronized public void addToDragonLine(Adventurer adventurer)
 	{
 		dragonLock();
@@ -193,5 +216,24 @@ public void setPlayerJustLost(boolean x)
 	{
 		playerJustLost=x;
 	}
+	
+	// this method takes in the user input for how many clerks they want or how many adventurers they want
+	private int getInput(String question, int version) throws IOException
+	{
+		Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
+		boolean getInput=true;
+		int output=0;
+		while(getInput)
+		{
+			System.out.print(question);
+		   
+		    	output=sc.nextInt();
+		    if(output<1) System.out.println("that was too low of a number"+"\n");
+			else getInput=false;
+		}
+		return output;
+	}
+	
+	
 	*/
 }