TC> Try Silt Max -2A!!! Squish reads the old Area.Dat file and Area.Dat is
 TC> no longer compiled so you have to Silt Max -2A everytime you make
This is incorrect.  To prove it, look here:
SQPACK  Squish Database Pack Utility; Version 1.11
Copyright 1991, 1994 by Lanius Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Format 1:
[edited out]
Format 2:
  SQPACK  [area1 area2 ... arean]
      This instructs SQPACK to read a Maximus-style area data file and to
      process the areas within.  For Max 2.x, specify the name and path of
      your AREA.DAT file.  For Max 3.x, specify the name and path (but no
      extension) of your MAREA database. By default, all areas are
[remainder removed]
Note the specific mention of 'marea" here.  That's the Max3 marea.dat file.
In fact, if I recall correctly, Squish (supporting marea.dat) actually came
out just ahead of the Max 3.0 release, getting everyone all excited about the
mention of things like "marea.dat".
I use SQPack nightly, and with this command line:
sqpack c:\max\marea
--gary
--- Maximus v3.01               
---------------