(A) - Qube is an addictive action puzzle game. It seems so simple, yet leaves you wanting more. The perfect piece of anti-productivity software. Suitable for the whole family, even Grandpa. Although Qube runs best on MacOS X it is Carbon compliant and runs fine on MacOS 9.
(Q) - What do I need in order to use Qube?
(A) - You will need at a minimum a PowerPC with Thousands of colors, MacOS 8.6 with CarbonLib or MacOS X, 8 Megs RAM
(Q) - Who makes Qube and how can I get in touch with them?
(A) - Qube is published as shareware by Catara™ Software, a Macintosh-only, shareware company. You can get in touch with Catara using any of the following methods:
Classic: Catara Software
PO Box 12187
Shawnee Mission, KS 66282
Web: http://www.CataraSW.com
eMail: catara@CataraSW.com
(Q) - Where can I obtain Qube?
(A) - Our products can be found on the Web and in various magazines around the world. But you can always find the latest versions of all our products on the Catara web site. For more information on any of our products go to: <http://www.catarasw.com/products>.
(Q) - What is the latest version of Qube?
(A) - The current version of Qube is 1.0.
(Q) - How much does Qube cost, and how do I pay for it?
(A) - Qube is $20 shareware. You are granted permission to try Qube for 30 days. If you decide to register, you may do so over the web using the Kagi registration service or via snail mail.
(Q) - Does Catara offer site or world wide licenses?
(A) - We do offer site and world-wide licenses for quantity purchases. If you have 50 or more machines at one location, you can choose our site license option to save 25% compared to the individual license rate. If you have 4 or more locations at one company, then you can choose our world wide license option to save 50% compared to the individual license rate.
(Q) - Why should I register (pay for) Qube?
(A) - When you register one of our products you are telling us that we have done our job. That we have provided you with quality Macintosh software that you were able to download and try risk free for 30 days.
Catara exists because we want a place where we can work on projects that interest us; a place where we can be innovative; a place where we are limited only by our imagination. We are software artists who have a passion for creativity and the drive for quality. Our passion is demonstrated in our software and our client's software.
(Q) - My license code is invalid; what is wrong?
(A) - The license code you were sent is based on your name as you gave it to us when you registered. Make sure that you are entering your name exactly as it appears on your registration confirmation. If you still have a problem with your license code not working, please send eMail to registration@catarasw.com and we will take care of the situation for you.
(Q) - I have lost my license code, how can I have it replaced?
(A) - Catara Software maintains a database of registered users, so if you should happen to lose your license code, simply eMail the name of the product and your full name to registration@catarasw.com, and we will send your code to you.
(Q) - Will there be future versions of Qube?
(A) - Yes, as long as there is a demand.
GAME PLAY
(Q) - How do I play?
(A) - The object of Qube is to keep the well clear of "qubes" by placing the falling pieces so they form solid rows. There are two basic shapes, corners and bars, each is formed by 3 connected qubes. When a row is comprised of all solid qubes, the row is removed and the rest of the pieces will drop down. The game ends when no more pieces can be added to the well. Straight forward, right? There is a twist.
Some pieces contain qubes that are not solid. These partially solid qubes, "partials," must be combined with other partials to form solid qubes. Partials will move through other partials but not solids. A row can not be removed if it has one or more partials.
There are several yummies that can help you earn a higher score than your roommate. The most sought after is the "Power Qube," a single multi-colored qube that turns partials into solids. When a partial is converted to a solid, all adjacent partials will become solid as well.
A second type of yummy is the multiplier. When a piece is added to the well, a 2x, 3x, or 4x multiplier may be revealed. If a row containing a multiplier is removed, the points for that row are multiplied by the multiplier amount. Multiple yummy multipliers are combined, so clearing a line with a 3x and a 4x multiplier is worth 12x the points!!!
There are a number of ways to earn points in Qube, however, strategy is key to earning a spot in the Qube hall-of-fame. Points are awarded for how a piece is added to the well. Pieces that are added using the Drop or Quick Drop features will be scored higher than pieces that just fall naturally.
The points awarded for removing a row will be based on the types of qubes in the row. Mixed partial qubes score higher than solid qubes. When multiple rows are removed, the score for the first row is multiplied by one, the second row is multiplied by two, the third row is multiplied by 3, etc.
Points for row 1: 115 x 1 = 115
Points for row 2: 110 x 2 = 220
Points for row 3: 120 x 3 = 360
Total points: 695
By clearing a line with all the same colored qubes you can earn 5000 bonus points in addition to the points for each qube. Completely clearing the well of all qubes will result in 15000 bonus points! Multipliers will be applied accordingly.
(Q) - How can I pause or abort a game?
(A) - "P" is the default pause key. "esc" is the default abort key.
(Q) - Can I use my Whiz-Bang 2000 to play Qube?
(A) - If Apple shipped it and it has a PowerPC, MacOS 8.1, and CarbonLib 1.1, then yes.
(Q) - Do you have any hints or tips for playing Qube?
(A) - Strategy is the key and the Power Qube is your friend.
COMPATIBILITY
(Q) - Does Qube work on a PowerMac running System 8.0?
(A) - Qube requires MacOS 8.1 and CarbonLib 1.04 at a minimum. MacOS 8.1 is a free upgrade for MacOS 8 owners, see Apple for details.
(Q) - Is Qube compatible with MacOS X?
(A) - Yes, it has to be. MacOS X is what we use for development purposes.
(Q) - Why doesn't Qube switch the screen resolution on large monitors?
(A) - There is no "clean" way to do so at this time.
(Q) - Will my joystick work with Qube?
(A) - Qube currently supports Apple InputSprockets only for MacOS 8/9 users.
SUPPORT
(Q) - I think I have found a bug, what do I do?
(A) - In the unfortunate case that you do find a bug send us a bug report. Let us know what happened and when it occurred, what other programs you were running at the time, what computer configuration you are using and any other information that might help us reproduce the problem. Remember, there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to reporting bugs.
(Q) - Qube does not work on my computer, what do I do?
(A) - First make sure your computer system meets the minimum requirements. If it does and Qube simply will not work for you, file a bug report for us.
TECHIE STUFF
(Q) - Can you give me some technical details on Qube.
(A) - Qube is about 80K lines of C with a smattering of C++. Development began on a Blueberry iMac with 320MB RAM and finished on a dual headed 500MHz G4 with 576MB RAM, and 30 Hours of Jimmy Buffett MP3's. (Ripping MP3's on a 500MHz G4 rocks!)
(Q) - When was Qube first released?
(A) - Qube was first released April 2001.
Copyright 2001 by Catara Software; Catara and the Catara logo are trademarks of Catara Software, All Rights Reserved.
