Workbench Design/WB Collection.iso/workbench werkzeuge/wbgames/wbrain/wbrain.guide

Amigaguide Document | 1996-04-07 | 12KB | 239 lines

@database "WBrain"
@width 80
@height 40
@node MAIN "Index"
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                                 @{b}WBrain v2.1a@{ub}
                                  01/13/94
                              by Sean Russell
                      MCMXCIV @{i}Apocalypse Productions@{ui}
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                                 @{u}Index@{uu}
               @{" Quick Starting  " LINK 7}
            0 - @{" General intro " LINK 0}
            1 - @{"   Game idea   " LINK 1}
            2 - @{"  Installation " LINK 2} System requirements
            3 - @{"      Rules    " LINK 3} Playing the game (Rules)
            4 - @{"   Legal crap  " LINK 4}
            5 - @{"    Bug list   " LINK 5}
            6 - @{"     History   " LINK 6} and future
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@node 0 " General intro"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} General intro @{ub}
   Brain for the WorkBench.
   This program is based on Brain, by Andre Wichmann.
   WBrain takes no code from Brain, and is written entirely in C++
   Brain v1.01 can be obtained from the Fred Fish PD disk #652.
   The C++ compiler used was MaxonC++ v1.10.
   You can contact me only through snailmail:
      Sean Russell
      Claude-Lorrain-Str 31
      81543 Mnchen
      GERMANY
   Before running the game, set the @{"scores" LINK 2} directory to a suitable
location. (Third paragraph, "Installation & system requirements.")
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@node 1 " Game idea"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} Game idea @{ub}
   WBrain is short for Workbench Brain.  Brian is a game in which the player
is given a randomly generated pattern which SHe must reproduce by choosing
a correct order of moves.  WBrain is implemented in a WorkBench environment;
this means that it opens a window which can be resized to determine the size
of the playing field.  Moves are made by clicking on empty squares.
   The game is fairly simple after learning the general pattern rules; it is
very low-stress but still requires some thought to complete.  Personally, I
like the game because I can always solve it without becoming too frustrated.
At the same time, the game is not so mindless that it becomes boring; there
is always a little challange.
   Since the computer does not have to play against you, this program
requires very little CPU time, and also very little memory.  As the author
of the original Brain said, it is a good game for when you're doing
something like compiling with a slow compiler or with a big program, or
while generating fractals, or while ray tracing...
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@node 2 " Installation & system requirements"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} Installation & system requirements @{ub}
   WBrain requires the gadtools library, of version 36 or greater.  I've
also made the game unuable on OS<2.0x as a safety measure, since I don't
know if it would run on anything less.  Sorry.  I won't tell you that you
should buy OS2.0, since you probably already know that by now; half the PD
stuff out there these days won't run on 1.3 or 1.2 anymore.
   To install, simply copy the program (and it's icon) to the directory
where you want WBrain to reside (I.E: Games:).  This program uses
topaz 8 as it's font, so that must also be in the fonts: directory.  Unless
you've deleted it, it should be there as it comes with all versions of
WorkBench.  I imagine you could launch this onto about any public screen
if you wanted to, but I wrote it with the WorkBench in mind.  Double click
on the WBrain icon to start the program and you're off.  Or if you're a
fanatical icon hater, launch it from a CLI; I couldn't care less.
   WBrain saves it's scores file by default to sys:.  I strongly suggest
that you change the tooltype "SCORES" in the icon to a more suitable
directory.  If you are launching WBrain from a CLI, you can specify the
path as an argument.  If you start WBrain from the CLI, the scores will
be saved to the same directory the program is in.
   The programs included in this release are:
      WBrain          30100   (The program)
      WBrain.guide    12077   (The AmigaGuide format documentation)
      icons            4397
                      -----
      Total space    ~46574   (~46k)
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@node 3 "Playing the game"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} Playing the game (Rules) @{ub}
   Start the game (by double clicking on the icon, or launch it from a shell).
This program will not self-detach if started from a shell.
   The rules are simple: your goal is to make the left hand grid look like
the right hand grid.
   The window contains (in addition to the two grids) four buttons and two
boxes, which have the following functions:
   @{i}Undo@{ui} - Take back the last move.  The Undo function remembers all if your
          moves, which means you could back up to the beginning from the end
          if you wanted to.
   @{i}Retry@{ui} - Start over with the same goal grid from the beginning.  This is
          the same as Undo-ing back to the beginning.  This also restarts
          the timer.
   @{i}New@{ui} - Make a new goal.  Restarts the timer.
    @{i}Pause@{ui} - Pauses the game.  Disables the timer, and hides the grids to
          disallow cheating.
   @{i}Time box@{ui} - The time (since you started the current game) in seconds.
   @{i}Coordinate box@{ui} - The width and height of the grids.  (width | height).
   In addition are the standard zip, close, and back gadgets, and the size
gadget.  WBrain will produce the largest grids it can in the window you have
sized.  The starting dimensions are 4x3; I suggest the first time you play
you try this size, as it is the smallest you can get, and the easiest.  The
largest size is 10x10.  Every time you resize the window, a new goal will be
produced.
   When the right grid has the same configuration as the left, a window will
appear telling you that you have won the game, and in how many seconds.  In
the next version of the game, you will also be able to enter your name and
save your scores for the different sizes of grids.  If you fill all the
squares and no such window appears, check your grid, because somewhere you've
made a mistake.
   The menu contains two sections, Project and Game.  The project menu
contains the usual Info, Scores, and Quit options, and the game menu contains
copies of the Undo, Retry, New, and Pause buttons; these can also be chosen by
hot-key (Right-Amiga-u, RA-r, and RA-n, respectively).  In addition is the
Numbers option.  When this switch is toggled on, the goal numbers appear
in the game grid for easy reference.  Changing the Numbers toggle will have no
effect until 'Redo', 'New', or 'Pause' are chosen.  The game can be quit
by hotkey RAmiga-q, through the menu, or by closing the window.
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@node 4 " Legal crap"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} Legal crap @{ub}
   This program is Freely distributable.  If you payed money for WBrain
(aside from a modest copying fee), avoid dealing with the people who sold
you the program, 'cause they just royaly ripped you off.
   It sucks that there are those immoral characters who like to take
advantage of us generally selfless programmers and market other people's
software without providing due compensation.  PD collections, such as Fred
Fish and SAAR-AG-PD are hereby granted permission to do whatever they want
with WBrain; this includes distribution and the making of money thereof
(to support their worthy endeavors).
   If you @{i}really@{ui} want to do a good deed, or just want to do me a
favor for providing you with something you like, then subscribe to the Fred
Fish (or some similar) collection.  You'll be doing yourself a favor as well.
SAAR-AG-PD is also a good collection, but I think it's a reasonable choice
only if you live in Germany.
   The mandatory disclaimer: I make no claims that this program won't bomb
your system, burn out your roms, start World War III, or do any other nasty
things.  I also take no resposnibility if you use this program to crack into
the NSA databanks or give Bill Clinton a bad credit rating.  On the other
hand, if any of this stuff happens, drop me a letter so that I can brag about
it in the next version.
      @{u}Real@{uu} programmers code for the love of programming.
      Anything else is prostitution
(Don't let that stop you from sending me your recent inheritance in
gratitude =-)
   "This little thingy is ofcourse FreeWare, but if you REALLY like it,
    you can send me your sister as payment."
                                -Arthur Hagen
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@node 5 " Bug list"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} Bug list @{ub}
   None that I know of.
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@node 6 " History & future"
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@toc  MAIN
   @{b} History and future @{ub}
   Version 0.0 - Amiga-E version. Not released.  Window resizing was
                 inconvenient and GURUed my machine routinely.
   Version 1.0 -
 Resizing revamped

 Grid size displayer added

 Buttons moved to the left of the goal grid

 Made multitasking friendly.
   Version 1.2 -
 Levels 1-3 added.
    Version 2.0 - Re-Written in C++.  All versions up until now didn't have
                 a real random routine for generating grids since I didn't
                 have access to the Timer library.  This also meant that
                 there was no timer in the game for measuring speed, and
                 therefore no need for a pause option.  The speed program
                 was improved in version 3.0, reducing the CPU usage.
                 Levels 1-3 removed (they were impossible).
   Version 2.0a- Version 3.1 was a transitory phase for WBrain, and most
                 of the modifications to 3.2 were cosmetic.
                 WBrain now saves scores, and I've done away with the ugly
                 info and pause windows.  I've also reduced the size of the
                 smallest possible grid to 4x3.
   Version 2.1 - Added the ToolTypes parser (and CLI arg opts) for
                 specifying the location of scores.  Added the Numbers
                 option, and improved the Pause routine.
       01/10/94 - Noticed that when paused or infoed WBrain ate most of the
                 CPU in a wait loop.  Fixed. (Not worth a version tag)
   Version 2.1a- Minor, but neccessary.  WBrain now attempts to save the
                 scores in the program dir when it can't find the proper
                 argument.  This solution is not reliable when WBrain is
                 run from Icon.  Also, removed the requirement that there
                 be a trailing '/' in the path argument.
   Future:

 Make it Locale-f

 Add the Version Number
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@endnode
@node 7 "Quick Starting"
@toc MAIN
   @{b} For impatient players @{ub}
   Before you jump into WBrain, there is something you really ought to do.
Make a directory somewhere called "WBrainScores", or something similar,
where WBrain should store it's scores lists.  Then change the SCORES
tooltype in the WBrain icon to the full path of that directory you just
made.  An example of a good entry is:
   SCORES=hd2:Games/WBrain/WBScores
WBrain doesn't do any error checking for making sure the path in the icon
is correct, so make sure that you have the path right.
   Otherwise, the game is easy to figure out.  Click-and-Play.
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