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Text File | 1992-07-02 | 12.3 KB | 392 lines

Instructions for DALEKS on the Archimedes, version 3.30 02th Jul 1992. This is a public domain version of the game Daleks. This originated on the Macintosh, was converted to the Atari, and now its' on the Archimedes. See the file ST_Daleks for more information about this. The game: ======== The aim of the game is to destroy all the daleks. There are three ways of doing this: o Make daleks run into each-other, creating a pyre o Cause a dalek to run into a pyre o Use a sonic boom At each turn the player may do one of four things: o Move into an adjacent cell, or stay still o Teleport, to a random place on the board o Use a sonic boom o Last stand After the player has gone, every dalek will move one cell towards the players' new position on the board. The players' game is over when he collides with a dalek, or runs into a pyre. When all the daleks in one sheet have been killed, a new sheet is started with even more daleks. SONIC BOOM: This kills all daleks within one cell of the player, but ignores any pyres. Sonic booms accumulate at one per sheet. TELEPORT: This transports you to a random (empty) place on the board. Of course this isn't guaranteed to be safe! LAST STAND: This will cause the player to stand still until either they die, or the sheet is completed. Only use when absolutely sure it's safe to. Changes v3.21 --> v3.30: ======================= Shows probability that you will die if you teleport on the status bar. Now your man sprite is displayed when you die. Daleks never start on top of each other. Demo mode. Changes v3.10 --> v3.20: ======================= Can now specify auto-centering for sheet/teleport/move separately. Changes v3.00 --> v3.10: ======================= ADJUST click on a high score table window sets the current document to those game parameters, with appropriate warnings if a game is in progress. Better last-stand handling Changes v2.00 --> v3.00: ======================= Now fully wimped, that actually runs faster, with less flicker. In fact, it may be a bit TOO fast if you turn off multitasking. But you can't have too much speed, can you? In order to make this game run at a reasonable speed when there's ~100 daleks, (and reduce the horrible flicker of v2.00) the graphics used to animate the man/dalek movement are pre-generated. This takes a while, and needs to be re-done every time you change screen mode/palette. However, since it DOES speed the game itself up so much, it's a small sacrifice. Mouse controls: ============== Move: SELECT on arrows around player SELECT on player to stay put Sonic boom: ADJUST on arrows/player Teleport: ADJUST anywhere else Last stand: Use the menu item/keyboard shortcut (this is deliberate) Key controls: ============ 789 left up, up, up right 654 left, stationary, right 123 left down, down, down right S sonic boom T teleport L last stand SPACE restart game G toggle grid A toggle arrows H highlight player C centre window on player ^C toggle auto-centreing ^M toggle multi-tasking ^H toggle auto-highlighting ^S toggle auto-centre at start of sheet ^T toggle auto-centre after teleportin D toggle DEMO mode - computer-controlled player Demo: (D) ===== This toggles a computer-controlled player demonstration. Use of this stops any score getting on the high score board. It's a fairly simple algorithm: first of all move towards the centre of gravity of all daleks. Then if can't move, sonic boom, or teleport. Then home in on the nearest pyre & stay near it. Highlight: (H) ========= This option is essential on large boards. It goes through several frames of animation that home in on your current position. There are several types of animation. Automatic highlighting (^H) is useful to find yourself at the start of each new sheet. In fact, I'd say it was essential. The rates dbox can be used to tailor the number of frames of animation. This is necessary for, say, the spiral type as the default number of frames is far too small. Also, if not multitasking, then you'd want to increase the frames as it does it TOO FAST! Centreing: (C) ========= This scrolls the window until the player is in the middle of the window (or as close as can get - because player is near the edge of the board). Once selected, the window will "home" in on the player. It is difficult trying to re-size the window while this is happening, but the effect is worth that small sacrifice. If auto centreing (^C) is selected, then after each move, the "center" option is automatically selected. This is probably the "safest" way to play, though it can be distracting. It is now possible to automatically centre after a teleport/new sheet. For playing on very large boards, it is recommended that these later two are enabled and auto-centering disabled. Change the centre rate to "1", and you will ALWAYS be in the middle of the screen, but with only one "scroll". A better working value is "2" or "3". View.Grid: (G) ========= Well, look at the sub-menu - I got a bit carried away! The colours even work in 256 colour modes, which was decidely non-trivial. Just look away from the bottom left pixel of the screen on a mode change, and you'll be alright :-) The cross-hair MAY look better in multi-sync modes. In non-square modes you just get a blodge. View.Arrows: (A) =========== I should have allowed the arrows to move along with you, but due to the extra time it would take to generate the frames of animation, sod it (+ quite a bit more memory). Maybe in version 4 :-) Note that if arrows are disabled, you can still move by clicking in the cells adjacent to the player. View.Background: =============== Changing the background colour necessitates a recalculation of the sprites. In monochrome modes, selecting a "grey" colour doesn't work, because the cell size isn't an integer multiple of the dither pattern size. So stick to pure black/white. View.Sprites: ============ This dbox allows you to change the sprites AND the cell gaps. Family: There are three families of sprites that are distributed with Daleks. Just select the one you want. Cell gaps: The pixel gaps between cells. Reducing these can help to fit the whole board to lie on the screen, without any scrolling. Frames of animation: Read the on-line help. If you reckon the sprites are crap (and you'd be in the majority), then design your own and send 'em in so everyone can benefit. Look in the Sprites file, and you'll see some sprites prefixed "a_", the same set prefixed "b_", etc. If you just create the next set, then Daleks will automatically know about them the next time it's loaded. Easy eh! Just make sure the "dalek" sprite has the palette/size/mode for the whole group, and everything has a mask. View.Scale: ========== Since you HAVE to scale sprites according to their mode and the current screen mode, it is almost trivial to add on a user magnifier as well. So I did. Not much use, unless you're partially sighted, then just scale it up by a factor of 2-4 and get mega chunky graphics! Be warned though, these magnified sprites are stored "as is", so take up quite a lot of memory. View.Multitask: (^M) ============== This option causes Daleks to hand over control back to the wimp inbetween each movement/highlight frame of animation. With multitasking enabled, you can't do certain actions while others are still in progress, e.g. teleport while moving. Wait until the move has finished, then teleport. If you're using the keyboard, it's probably better to turn off multitasking, as it makes the game run quite a bit faster. New game: ======== Using this dbox it is possible to create your own "games". Note that these values are used to determine what high score table you get on to. So change these and you go onto a DIFFERENT score table. High scores: =========== A separate high score table is noted for each type of game. The high score file is always written to when someone gets a score, but not loaded. So don't run two or more versions of the application concurrently. The highscore file is protected with a CRC, so no manual editing! It is possible to remove a high score table. This is usually done after mergeing a lot of very poor high scores from version 2. Note that you are NOT given a second chance, so be VERY CAREFUL. Pressing ADJUST on a high score window sets the current document to those parameters. This is very handy. View, New game: ============== These are for a multi-document version of daleks. But who needs multiple documents of daleks? Misc.Save choices: ================= This saves everything, even your name! It is highly recommended that you use this option, as resetting parameters each time you re-load is a big pain. Misc.Load choices: ================= This is more useful in the multi-document version of daleks. But who needs multiple documents of daleks? Misc.Merge v2: ============= This merges the v2 Dalek score file(s) with the current high scores. However, for this to work you *MUST* edit the !Run file inside v2.00 *AND* then run it. This is because Daleks3 needs to read the system variable "Daleks$Dir". Unfortunately the v2.00 !Run file "UnSet Daleks$Dir", and so this (last) line must be commented out by sticking a "|" in front of it. OK. Got all that. Good. Also note that because this was a quick hack, the number of disc writes to the new scores file is humongous. So do it to a RAM disc. Don't have v2 and v3 on separate floppies - you'd die of old age. Best Scores =========== (40x23) 7.10. 460 1:1:1 = (13) 7550 (40x23) 7.10. 460 1:1:8 = (18) 15060 (80x50) 50.10.1000 1:1:8 = (22) 31860 Credits: ======= Simon Huntington - Interface module Nick van Someren - BugView Acorn - Archimedes / RiscOs / BasicV Frank Zappa - Musical entertainment I am Cy J Booker, dwelling at: 86 Church View Main Road Crockenhill Swanley Kent. BR8 8JW U.K. Public Domain: ============= Er, now for the blurb that no one reads:- This program is still free. If you paid any money for it then you were ripped off. I accept no responsibilty for this program or its' documentation. However, I am not adverse to accepting cash donations, for those who feel so inclined. This program and documentation is Copyright © Cy Booker 1992. If you're a library/bbs/magazine and wish to distribute this, then contact the author. If you want the source code then send us a disc. Updates: ======= v1.00 09-Oct-1990 Version the first. v1.01 02-Dec-1990 Updated library files, and put into separate folder. Still no 256-colour support - can't be naffed. Unlocked all files. v1.02 27-Dec-1990 Squashed source code to make it run a bit faster, included source as an archive. This meant didn't have to mess around with Library files. Also means should load a LOT faster off floppy. v2.00 30-Dec-1990 ARM-Coded the main program - this makes it a LOT faster. Also cured that one bug. ** MUCH ** Better way of specifying sprite / board size. Also can now play Atari ST version - non-accumulating sonic booms. v3.00 05-Jun-1992 Even though it's Wimp-ed, because of a better algorithm its faster than v2. Lots of features added to make the most of (and overcome some limitations of) the window'ed approach. Cured bug in 2.00 of sonic booming last remaining daleks on a sheet. v3.10 07-Jun-1992 Last stand: No delay, or graphic effect if die, cured redraw bug if select sonic boom from menu, and bug when change game parameters. Added ability to set game parameters from high score window. v3.20 08-Jun-1992 Can now determine center after teleport/sheet/move separately v3.21 26-Jun-1992 Update this !Help file v3.30 02-Jul-1992 Cured redraw-when-die & start overlap bugs Added demo mode Added probability that will die to status bar Bugs ==== Two known bugs: o if multitask & sonic boom FROM MENU, and a dalek is PARTIALLy visible, then the screen gets corrupted. o multitasking Demo mode: screen corruption when sonic or leave demo-mode Won Ton On!