These are miscellaneous items that may be if interest to you. It is strongly recommended that you skim through them at least once so that you know what is going on with PillBottle...I don't want there to be any surprises! After you've read through this once, there's probably no need to ever bother with it again.\
Unless It proves necessary to implement some bug fixes, this will be the last release until I get the 3.0 OS, and all future releases with then be compiled under 3.0. \
\b\i\fs32 This version is fully functional! All features are enabled.
\b0\i0\fs24 \
If you register with the author, you will be given a license key that will make the annoying "shareware alert" panels go away
\i the key does not enable any new features
this is the full game! If a feature doesn't work, it is either not implemented yet or it is a bug. I know there there are a few people who dislike the appearance of License keys of any sort. (I don't particularly like them myself, so I sympathize.) I feel that the key mechanism I have implemented is justifiable, however. Here's why I have used it:\
(1) I have found that many people forget that PillBottle is shareware, and so I needed a mechanism to help remind them of this fact. The shareware alert panels are there to serve this function. Once a user registers, there is no point to the panels, so the key keeps them from coming up.\
(2) I offer source code to those who register. The source distribution has no key mechanism...so the fact that this distribution has a key shouldn't keep you from registering. If you don't bother to obtain the source, and leave the key there, it shouldn't be a problem anyway, since once a key is given, you never need to worry about it again.\
(3) The implementation tries to be inobtrusive to registered users. Register once and you are done with it. The license "keys" act as a floating license
they are machine and user independent.\
I feel that these reasons are sufficient justification for the key mechanism; I have tried to make the mechanism as reasonable as possible. If you still hate me for putting it in, please send me e-mail and we can discuss it.\
If you are considering purchasing Columns as well, there is a `package deal' in effect: For a mere $15 you may purchase a license to both games! (They are normally $10 each.) The cost calculation in the new order form takes this into account. If you are purchasing multiple licenses, and desire a quantity discount, please contact me before sending any money.\
There is stuff that needs to be added to Help, but I didn't have time to do for this release: the files "ToDo" and "Changes" should be read into the help system rather than making you look for them inside the PillBottle.app folder. The highscore system needs to be explained. For now, if you are having troubles, make sure that the file PillBottle.app/highscores has read and write priviledges granted to all users. A description of how to change sound effects and make your own images is missing. If you want more information on any of these things, please ask me via e-mail (you can use the Send Suggestion... item in the Info> panel if your NeXT is on the Internet).\
I also plan to improve the auto-key repeat, some of the playability features, and spiff up the graphics in future releases. Better Preferences for adjusting the sounds and images used will be implemented.\
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 quite a while to launch. Complex background bitmaps and the preliminary sound decoding are the culprits. Of course, once these preliminary set-up things are finished,
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 is as fast as ever! Changing backgrounds can also take a while, for the same reason.\
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 . The sources are available as of now. I haven't really had time to clean it up to my satisfaction yet...nor have I had time to finish writing up all the internal documentation, but it's coming, slowly and surely. For now, you can get as much as I've got done. :-)
\fs20 There seems to be a bug in the 2.x release NeXT sound object which can crash this game. The culprit seems to be some method about six levels into the NeXT sound object, something which I cannot alter easily. Because of this, I have written a substitute object. However, due to time constraints, this new object is somewhat non-friendly. When you start the game, it grabs the sound out port and won't let go of it until you quit. It does
\i not
\i0 matter if you've turned off the sound effects in the preferences panel
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 will grab the sound out (DAC) anyway. (It doesn't grab the DSP, though, so you should be able to do DSP.) This means that even if
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 is being quiet, other applications can't make noise. If another app wrestles the sound out port away from
\pard\tx960\tx1920\tx2880\tx3840\tx4800\tx5760\tx6720\tx7680\tx8640\tx9600 should be rock solid stable; I haven't crashed it yet! (You probably will find a way, though, via Murphy's laws of software development.)
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