X-Git-Url: https://git.artsoft.org/?p=rocksndiamonds.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;fp=README;h=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hp=28572bf8cb142c4b4a4a71771e7ac6feaa020fe9;hb=a89ed2ddb63e827405f5900e981c5ef6df20495d;hpb=d8cedb994ca1288047be54db6dfa2f07011ed8e8 diff --git a/README b/README deleted file mode 100644 index 28572bf8..00000000 --- a/README +++ /dev/null @@ -1,340 +0,0 @@ - -Welcome to - - R O C K S ' N ' D I A M O N D S - ----------------------------------- - -A game for Unix/X11, DOS and Windows by Holger Schemel. -DOS port based on code by Guido Schulz. -(c) 1995-2000 by Holger Schemel. - -Introduction -============ -This is a nice little game with color graphics and sound for your -Unix system with color X11, DOS or Windows. You need an 8-bit color -display or better. -It will not work on black&white systems, and maybe not on gray scale -systems. - -If you know the game "Boulderdash" (Commodore C64) or "Emerald Mine" -(Amiga) or "Supaplex" (PC), you know what "ROCKS'N'DIAMONDS" is about. - - -Getting started -=============== -Just 'cd' to the directory 'rocksndiamonds-*' (Unix, Windows) or 'rocks-*' -(DOS) and type 'rocksndiamonds' (Linux, Windows) or 'rocks' (DOS)! -This works only on Linux, DOS and Windows systems, because the included -binary was compiled for Linux (i386/glibc) (if you have the Unix package) -and DOS or Windows (if you have the DOS or Windows package). -If you have another Unix system like HPUX, NetBSD or Solaris, you first have -to type 'make' to compile it. See the file 'INSTALL' for details. -This may be needed on Linux systems, too, depending on your kernel version, -your libc version, your binary format, your processor, your karma, ... - -(The included Linux binary was compiled on a glibc 2.x system based on -a 2.2.x Linux kernel and XFree86 4.0.x libraries.) - - -The Menues -========== -You can see eight blue circles on the left side of the eight green menu -texts; these are buttons to activate the menu commands by simply clicking -on them with a mouse. The button will then change to red. -(You can control the menues over the keyboard or joystick, too. Just use -the arrow keys and the 'Return' or 'Enter' key or, if you use a joystick, -the appropriate direction and the fire button.) - -The menu 'name' / 'team' ------------------------- -When you start the game the first time, your login name will appear in -the 'NAME:' field. If you want to use a different name for playing, for -example a funny player name or a name for cheating, you can click on the -button and enter a new name. - -This menu will show the text 'team' instead of 'name' if you activated -the team (local multiplayer) mode in the setup menu. See below. - -The menu 'level' ------------------ -Choose any level from the current level series you want. The former -'handicap' limitation in choosing levels has been removed because of -beeing annoying. - -If the level number is red, you have choosen a 'ready' level series (which -is read-only and cannot be modified by the level editor); if it is yellow -you have choosen a 'user' level series (which is writable and can be changed -by the builf-in level editor). See below for using the level editor. - -To choose new level series, click on the button on the left and choose -the new level series. Scroll the page up and down with the blue arrow -buttons if there are more level series than would fit on the screen. - -Hall of fame ------------- -Click on this button to see a list of the best players of this level. -Click again to go back to the main menu. - -Level creator -------------- -This brings you to the level editor, if you have switched to a 'yellow' -(writable) level series. - -Info screen ------------ -This screen shows you all elements which appear in the game and presents -you the background music loops which you can listen to while playing the -levels (not available on all systems). - -Start game ----------- -This will start the game. The game will be automatically recorded 'on tape' -if you have choosen this from the setup menu (see below). If you haven't -choosen auto-recording level, but want to record this certain game, press -the 'record' button on the level tape recorder to start game and recording. - -Setup ------ -To change some things in the game, use the setup menu. -You can enable/disable "Sound" (enables/disables _all_ sounds in -the game), "Sound loops" (only useful on Linux systems), "Game music" -(can always be enabled on very fast systems [exception: you don't -like it], on slower systems it will take some percent of CPU time -which will slow things down a bit) and "Toons", which will forbid/ -permit the little animated toons. - -Forget about the setup options "Buffered Gfx" and "Fading" -- they -have no effect at the moment and will probably disappear in future -versions of the game. (Double-buffering is now always activated, because -systems are fast enough now compared to 1995, when the last version of the -game was released. Especially soft-scrolling needs the double-buffering. -About fading from one screen to another with silly effects: Most players -will probably deactivate it after a few minutes (see also "quick doors").) - -Enable "scroll delay" to avoid scrolling at each step, giving you an area -where you can walk without scrolling until you get near enough to the screen -border. - -Enable "soft scroll" for soft-scrolling. Looks nice, but may need a -relatively fast graphics card. Systems from 1998 and later should be fast -enough for enabling soft-scrolling. - -Enable "quick doors" if you are unpatient when switching between the -several game screens where the doors have to be opened or closed. You will -almost surely enable this if you design your own levels and therefore -often switch between game and editor screens. - -Set "auto-record" to "on" if you want to automatically record each game -by the built-in level tape recorder. - -For configuration of input devices like keyboard and joysticks, choose -the sub-menu "input devices". - -"Exit" quits the setup menu without saving the changes, "Save and exit" -will save and then return to the main menu. - - -Input Devices (sub-menu of the setup menu) ------------------------------------------- - -"Player" lets you choose one of the four players. - -"Device" lets you choose the input device you want for this player; -you can choose between the keyboard and one of the maximal four supported -joysticks. (Normally you won't have more than two joysticks, but the Linux -joystick driver supports more than two joysticks.) - -"Customize" / "Calibrate" lets you calibrate a joystick or customize the -keyboard keys used for moving left, right, up and down, "snapping" fields -without moving towards them and placing bombs. Just press the key you want -to use for the specified action or press Return or Enter to stay with the -already configured values. - -"Exit" brings you back to the setup screen. - - -Quit ----- -Exit the game. - - -How To Play The Game -==================== -When the game has started, you can see the playfield on the left side -and a control field on the right side. The control field contains the -following elements: - -Level indicator Tells you which level you are playing. - -Emeralds Shows you how many emeralds you still need - to win the current level. - -Dynamite Shows you how many dynamite bombs you have. - -Keys Shows you which keys you have in your inventory. - -Score Shows the current score. In some levels there - are some extra items giving extra score points. - -Time The seconds you have still left to play the level. - -Stop/Pause/Play Game controls to stop the game, pause it and go on - playing. If the tape recorder is recording your - game, it is stopping/pausing/playing as well. - -Music buttons The three music buttons can be used to control the - background music loop, the 'looping' sounds and - all other sounds. The little red light shows you - if it is enabled or disabled. - -About the game itself: Of course you know Boulderdash, so you will know -how to play the game. :) -If not: You can move your playing figure with the configured keys (which -will normally and by default be the arrow keys) or with a joystick. -To 'snap' a field near you without moving to it, you -can use the left fire button on your joystick (hold it down, move the -stick to 'snap' the field, release the button) or the key you have -configured for this action (by default one of the left modifier keys like -'Shift' or 'Control'). -To place a piece of dynamite, use the right fire button on your joystick or -use the key you have configured for this (by default one of the right modifier -keys, but you can change all this to what you like). -After placing the dynamite, better see to move away from this field...). - -Just try the levels from the 'tutorial' level serie to see what most -of the elements do or have a look at the info screen! - - -The Level Editor -================ -To create your own levels, it's a good idea to start with your personal -level series, which has been created automatically the first time you -started the game (together with some configuration files). These personal -files are stored in '~/.rocksndiamonds' on Unix systems and in 'userdata' -in the current playing directory (which normally is the game directory) -on DOS/Windows systems. - -The levels that come with the game are normally read-only, to avoid -problems on multi user systems, but you can set them to 'writable' in -the file 'levelinfo.conf' ('lvlinfo.cnf' on DOS systems) in each level -directory. - -To edit a level, you can use all three mouse buttons to draw in the -level window. Click into the elements field with one of the three buttons -to remap it to the new element. Use the scrollbars, arrow buttons or -cursor keys to scroll around in the level. Use the drawing functions by -selecting them from the toolbox field or pressing the corresponding key -(the key shortcuts for each gadget are displayed in the status line at -the bottom of the window when the mouse pointer is over the gadget). - -About the drawing functions: If you know the good old "Deluxe Paint" from -the Amiga, you will have no problems with the drawing functions -- even -the key shortcuts are mostly the same. If not, just try them out and you -will see what happens. ;-) - -Some notes: Most drawing functions have different behaviour when different -mouse buttons are pressed in the drawing area; normally, the left mouse -button is the 'foreground button' and the middle and right buttons are -some sort of 'background buttons', often with relation to the chosen -element mappings on this buttons. - -The '?' button brings you to the 'Element settings' page, where you can -see some information about the element and how many of them are included -in the current level. The contents of elements with content (some amoeba -and the Yam Yam (also know as cruncher) can have content) can be edited -by 'sticking' the page with the corresponding button on their page. -Yam Yam's can have up to eight content areas. - -The 'undo' button gives you the chance to undo up to 10 drawing operations. -The 'info' button brings you to the 'Level/Editor settings' page. -The 'save' button asks you to save the current level. -The 'clear' button clears the drawing area without asking. -The 'test' button lets you play your new level directly from the editor. -The 'exit' button asks you to exit the editor (if there are unsaved changes). - -In the 'Editor settings' section, you can give your level a new name -and type in your name which will be displayed as the level's author. -(On Unix systems, your login name will be taken as default.) -Then you can modify the level playfield size there, the available time -(set this to zero to get unlimited time for this level), the score you -get for each 10 seconds time that are left when reaching the exit, and -last but not least you can enter the number of emeralds the player has -to collect before the exit door opens. - -Another new button is the 'double speed' button that lets the player move -twice as fast as normally from start; the effect is the same as collecting -a speed pill during the game. - -In the 'Editor settings' section, you can make some modifications to the -behaviour of the 'random element placement' button (the dice): Choose if -the number you can enter means how many percent of the whole level are -filled with the element chosen as the random element, or if it should mean -the exact number of elements to be placed in the level field. -With the 'restrict' button on the left side you can force the random function -not to overwrite level elements other than the element chosen in the content -field on the right side. - - -The Tape Recorder -================= -You can use the tape recorder to record games and play tapes of previously -played games. Just use them like a normal video recorder. - -Recording a game on tape: -------------------------- -If you have enabled "auto-record", every game will automatically be recorded, -so you just have to press "start game". Pressing the 'record' button on the -tape recorder will start game and record it in any case. - -Saving a game tape: -------------------- -To save a tape to the tape file corresponding to the level (that means -that you can only save one tape file for each level), just press the -'eject' button (the very left button). Then you will be prompted if -you really want to replace the old tape (if an old tape exists). - -Playing a tape: ---------------- -Just press 'play' and then either 'play' or 'pause'. - -While recording or playing, you can press 'pause' to stop the recording -or the playing of the tape and continue by pressing 'pause' again. -You can use either the tape recorder buttons or the game control buttons -for this purpose. - -If you want to continue a previously recorded game, press 'pause' while -playing, then 'record' to switch from 'paused playing' to 'paused recording' -and then continue the game by pressing 'record' or 'pause'. If you want -to fast-forward the tape to get faster to the point where you want to -continue playing, press 'play' again while already playing, therefore -activating 'fast forward' playing mode. Press again the 'play' button -to enter a special playing mode: 'pause before end' will stop a few seconds -before the end of the tape (which will in most cases stop a few seconds -before you get killed in the previous playing recorded on that tape) -- -after the automatic stop (which enters the 'pause' mode) you can continue -the game as described above. - - -And Now Have Fun! -================= -Have fun playing the game, building new levels and breaking all high -scores! :-) - -If you have designed new levels, mail them to me to include them in the -next version (which will be released much earlier than again after three -years like this version... ;-) - -If you have any comments, problems, suggestions, donations, flames, -send them to - - info@artsoft.org - -or Snail Mail to - - Holger Schemel - Detmolder Strasse 189 - 33604 Bielefeld - GERMANY - -Have fun, - Holger