@database DC_ManualV1_3.Guide @rem @rem **** HOLD IT!!... You're not using AmigaGuide! **** @rem @rem This is an AmigaGuide document. Workbench 3.0 (and higher) users @rem should view this document with the SYS:Utilities/MultiView program @rem that came with their systems. Other users should find a copy @rem of AmigaGuide, and use that. @rem @node MAIN "Welcome to DIAMOND CHALLENGE V1.31" @{b}@{fg highlight} #### # ### # # ### # # #### # # # # # ## ## # # ## # # # # # # ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## # # #### # # # # # ### # # #### ### # # ### # # ##### # # ### ##### # # # # # # # # ## # # # _ # ##### ##### # # ### # # # # ### ### /| ´ \\ /| # # # # # # # # # ## # # # | -{ | ### # # # # #### #### ##### # # ### ##### _|_ * \\_/ _|_ @{ub}@{fg text} I don't think you are reading this before starting the game, right ? Fine. And why do you read this after playing the game ? Some hints ? Some cheats ? No !!! That's just a short introduction for this game. After a nice animation the following main menu comes up: @{" START GAME " link START} @{" Game Options " link OPTIONS} @{" Mix levels: Off " link MIXED} @{"View hiscore table" link HISCORE} @{" Quit game to DOS " link QUIT} And now some more important options about the game and other stuff... @{"-=> Requirements <=-" link REQUIRE} @{"??? Legal stuff ???" link LEGAL} @{"!!! Installation !!!" link INSTALL} @{" Leveleditor! Where? " link EDITOR} That's all. Now have fun with it and contact @{"me" link INFOS} if you found some tricky bugs or real stupid errors. I'm still human and can't check out every possible situation. But my beta tests cover at least 90 per cent. ;-)) @endnode @node QUIT "Main Menu: Quit" Press fire here to quit back to Workbench (AmigaDOS), if you have enough of it. (I don't hope so!) @endnode @node HISCORE "Main Menu: Hiscore" Here you can see the actual hiscore for the currently loaded levels. There are 3 columns: the name of the player, the number of played levels and the game type. ("Mix" when mixed or "Off" for normal.) Press fire to quit back to main menu or wait 5 seconds. @endnode @node MIXED "Main Menu: Mix levels: On/Off" This option makes the game more exciting. The 'Mixed Off' mode is the normal playing mode (from level 1 to 50), but in 'Mixed On' mode all levels are mixed, so you may solve all levels in this direction: 6, 14, 38, 1, 44, 42, 17, 30, 7, 26, 22, 50, 3, ... This also works with your created levels. So you never know which level comes next. If you solve all 50 levels this way you get a great bonus of... guess? ... No. More: 200000 points !!! You want more ? Why ? BTW: It works with warp fields too. It's somehow tricky. I recommend to use the warp field without mixing first. I try to explain it with this @{"example" link LEVELWARPS}. @endnode @node OPTIONS "Main Menu: Game Options" Here you can change some settings for the game. This includes loading your created levels, hiscore actions and in-game music settings. I'm sorry, but you have to use your mouse here. I've tested moving the mouse pointer with the joystick, but after a while it's very annoying. Especially when you add/delete music moduls. Let's have a closer look on the different parts of the option screen now: @{b}Levels:@{ub} This part shows informations about the loaded levels. First you have the level name with the date of the last modification. Under it you see the name of the creator of the levels. And you see these four buttons: @{i}Load Levels: @{ui}Opens the @{"file selector" link FSEL} and you can choose a new level file. If it has to correct format, it will be loaded into memory. The black background flashes green if loading was successful else it flashes red. (Already loaded levles will not be changed.) >>> JUST USE MY EDITOR TO CREATE LEVELS! OR: "Guru..." <<< If a hiscore file exists it will be loaded and checked for correct hiscore data. Otherwise it will save and use the default hiscore. Note: Don't modify my default levels, if you have problems solving a level. I really check for it! But you can modify and save it with a different file name if you want to cheat... ;-) @{i}Clear Hiscore: @{ui}Here you reset the hiscore to the default values. You havee to confrim this action. The cleared hiscore will immediately be saved to disc! There is no way to recover the old hiscore! BE CAREFUL! @{i}Merge Hiscore: @{ui}This opens the @{"file selector" link FSEL} and you can select a hiscore file to merge into the current hiscore. You may want to use this feature if you want to compete with your friends or exchange levels over the internet. The same warning applies here: You have to confirm this action. The new hiscore will be saved immediately! @{i}Export as ASCII: @{ui}Just an extra feature. Saves the current hiscore as plain text with a ".ASC" extension. You find the file in the same directory of the current levels. @{b}Audio:@{ub} Prior to all the information here, I have to tell you that it's my first try to add music while playing the game. I know that it's obvious to play music in the game. But I'm NO MUSICIAN!!! So I thought: I can't create music, but I don't have to. You can use your favorite music modules. This is what you can do in this section. You are limited to 100 modules and your available memory. @{i}ADD: @{ui}Click to add a new module into the list. The @{"file selector" link FSEL} appears and you can browse your computer to select a module. Not all MOD formats are supported, but most of them are! If your module has been saved with a newer format, you should test this before you add all your modules. Just add this one module into the list and start the game. If you hear the music it's okay. @{i}DEL: @{ui}Simply removes the selected modul from the list. @{i}CLR: @{ui}Deletes all modules from the list. You can create new list. @{i}Arrows: @{ui}Scrolls through the list up and down. Between the arrows you see the total amount modules in the list. @{i}Module list: @{ui}Here you see the modules which will play during the game. First you see the module number, the complete path of the file and the amount of memory in kilo bytes. The order of the modules is not important. The modules are played in random order. Click on a module to select it, if you want to remove it with the 'DEL' button. Below this block, you see another three buttons. They are important for the default settings after loading. @{i}Sounds: @{ui}Click this button to activate sounds or not. @{i}Music: @{ui}Use this button to activate music playing or not. @{i}Preload Music: @{ui}The most important button. If you have enough fast memory you can preload your modules when starting the game or adding new modules with the 'ADD' button. It's very useful if you have no hard disc and have to load your modules from floppy disc. Only deactivate this feature if you are low on memory and can load the modules from hard disc. @{b}Memory:@{ub} Just an information about your available memory. To prevent memory troubles check the chip memory to have more than 512K plus the amount for your largest music module. You should have no problems with 2MB chip ram. Finally you have a "Save" button, where you save this configuration and an "Okay" button to just use the settings. If you want to use different configurations rename or clone the "DiamChall.Cfg" file. Thanks. @endnode @node FSEL "Main Menu: About the file selector" The game with all data and the editor needs about 792K disc space. If you play the game from floppy you have not much room left for your created levels. So I've created a real file selector where you can browse your computer to load levels from any location. And I removed the assign "DCLevels:". Loading a new level set always starts with the subdirectory "Levels", so I suggest to store your levels in there. Just a short feature list, about my file selector: *) Click on file to select, second click to use and exit selector *) Click on a directory (marked with "(DIR)") changes into it *) Up/down arrows and a slider to scroll file list *) Click on selected file name to edit it *) fixed file pattern (not case sensitive) for required types, these are: - level sets: #?.LEV - hiscore files: #?.SCR - music modules: mod.#? or #?.mod *) button "Assign" lists all devices and assigns *) button "Root" directly jumps to root directory *) button "Parent" moves one directory level up (until root) *) finally click button "Okay" to use, or "Cancel" to abort The directory path display can't be edited, sorry. You don't really need to do that. If you play levels from a floppy disc unprotect it, and don't remove or change the disc while playing. A new hiscore will be saved to it. CAUTION! Some faulty floppy drives confuses the system. If you have one, after some years of usage, please make sure that the drive correctly recognized the exchange! The game will fail if there is no disc physically present in the drive, but the system didn't recognize this. Unfortunately I could test this! 8-(( @endnode @node START "Main Menu: Start the game" Here you tart to play. At the bottom the score board appears: +------------------------+------+------+------+------+-----+ | S C O R E 00000000 | K E Y S | | +------------------------+------+------+------+------+BONUS| | D I A M O N D S 000 | T I M E 000 |TOOLS |LIVES | | +------------------------+-------------+------+------+-----+ Now more details: @{i}SCORE: @{ui}Shows your actual amount of @{"points" link POINTS}. @{i}DIAMONDS: @{ui}Holds the left amount of diamonds you still have to collect or a 'b' appears to tell you the amount of collected bonus diamonds. @{i}TIME: @{ui}Displays your left time to solve the level in seconds. @{i}KEYS: @{ui}Shows how much red, yellow, green and blue keys you have left to open red, yellow, green and blue doors. @{i}TOOLS: @{ui}Displays your selected tools to use with the fire button. There are four possible tools: fire bullet, picks, bombs and maps. Use the to change your active tool. @{i}LIVES: @{ui}Displays your left lives. If this number has reached zero, the next failure will quit the game. The following things can kill you: *) out of time *) hit explosion of a bomb *) moving on empty field without activated pick *) and, of course, collision with baddies @{i}BONUS: @{ui}This is the bonus display. At the top is the display of your collected gems in the four colours red (=ruby), green (=emerald), blue (=aquamarine) and yellow (=topaz). Under it you see the current @{"bonus item" link BONUSITEM} with a direection where to find it. Left to it you have a blue timer for the freeze bonus and right to it is the red timer for your shield. If you enter a new level you have a shield for 6 seconds, or if you loose a live you get a shield for 4 seconds. And after beaming you have a shield for just 1 second. Use this to kill baddies near the transporter. Now the game area above shows you which level comes next. Press fire to enter it. A limited display area appears and shows only some surrounding fields. Use the joystick to move through the different @{"fields" link FIELDS}. Your aim is to collect all required diamonds which will make an exit door appear. Sometimes you can collect more diamonds. Then a 'B' will be added and shows the amount of collected bonus diamonds. On some levels there exists one or more warp fields. They are active from the start or appear with the exit when all diamonds are collected. You can use them to skip some levels, ex: jump from level 3 to level 12. But beware: There are also some backward jumps! If you use a warp field all bonus points will count less points than using the exit door. From level 7 on (in 'Mix Off' mode) baddies appear and make all levels more tricky or even harder! There are three types: *) @{i}Hat: @{ui}Fast baddy. Don't get too close. Moves randomly. *) @{i}Ghost: @{ui}Slow baddy. Follows the player. So shoot them very soon. *) @{i}Flame: @{ui}Slow baddy. You need many shoots to kill. Moves randomly. You may need the keyboard near the joystick. There are some keys you need during the game: *) M ....... toggles music on/off *) S ....... toggles sound effects on/off *) P ....... pause game; playing area will be hidden *) ESC ..... quit game to main menu and checks for hiscore *) DEL ..... give up current attempt (kill you) and restart level *) Space ... change active tool; there are four possible settings: - Shoot bullet: Press fire to shoot at the baddies. Only one bullet is allowed, so be careful. You can't shoot walls, doors, icy curves or baddy homes. - Use a pick: Hold fire button while moving to use a pick and walk over empty fields. - Set bomb: Press fire to set a bomb and explode the 3 by 3 fields around it. You have 5 seconds to leave this area. Baddies will also be killed if they get into the explosion! - View map: draws a small map of the level. Your position will be displayed as red-yellow flashing colour and all existing baddies are displayed as green flashing colour. You have 10 seconds left to get 100 extra points. After that every 2 seconds this extra points will be reduced by 5. So after another 40 seconds you get no extra points. And after that your score will be decreased !!! At the end of each level left tools and time will count as bonus score. You get extra points for everything except maps. You keep them through the whole game. A final report shows you how much bonus points you got. Press fire to go on to the next level. That's all. At the end for the game you can enter your name, if you've reached a new hiscore. Each level set has its own hiscore list. It will be loaded when you load new levels and saved at once. If you have no hiscore you see the game informations. Additionally the second line always shows some statistics who many bullets you've fired, how many baddies you've killed and your resulting shot accuracy. @{b}NOTE:@{ub} Disable the 'write protection' when playing from floppy. Otherwise the game won't save new hiscores! @endnode @node BONUSITEM "Game: Bonus Items" Quite frequently a bonus appears on a normal field. Here is a list of all available items. In general items at the top appear more often than the ones at the bottom, but there are still some differences. cherry ................ 100 points apple ................. 250 points coca cola ............. 500 points hamburger ............. 1000 points red gem ............... \\ green gem ............. |_ 200 points; collect all for 5 lives; blue gem .............. | if you already have a gem you lose it yellow gem ............ / red hourglass ......... 15 seconds yellow hourglass ...... 40 seconds green hourglass ....... 90 seconds frozen jet of water.... freezes baddy moves; they're easy to kill shield ................ protects against baddies, but not bombs! multiple explosions ... kills just all baddies on display one great explosion ... kills really all baddies on the level clock ................. +2 seconds for "freeze" and "shield" bonus of the current level, and +1 second for all following levels! green exit door ....... get out of the level; but less bonus points diamonds .............. you get 4 extra diamonds! extra life ............ ;-) What could that be ? box of presents ....... 0 to 3 random items listed above Think quick if it is worth to hunt for the bonus. A new bonus item stays for 15 up to 75 seconds. It may disappear just if you are about to take it. >>> "Damn! Just time lost! ;-((" GOOD LUCK! And don't forget to solve a level. It's faster than just running for bonus items and waiting for the exit. @endnode @node FIELDS "Game: Field Types" Here is only a short list of all field, sorted by the editor. type | describtion -----------------+----------------------------------------------------- wall | you can't go through it or shoot it | doors | you need a same cololured key to open a door | icy curves | changes your sliding direction | ice field | you will slide into the direction you move on them | until you reach a non ice field or will be stopped | by a wall, an icy curve or the edge of the level | transporter | press fire to be tranported from one point of the | map to another transporter (or not, he he he!) | normal | here you have full control and can move as you like | keys | collect them to open doors | pick | with it you can change an empty field to a normal | field and walk over it | bomb | collect a bomb to blow up a 3 by 3 field around the | bomb; you have 5 seconds to leave the explosion area | else you will be killed; you can blow up anything | you like including diamonds, except baddy homes. map | get a new map (figure the colour out) | diamonds | you must collect them to make the exit appear | change to empty | these fields changes to an empty field when you move | on it; there are three stages; be careful at the | last stage if you move to an empty field: it will | disappear and your lost between two empty fields! | empty field | you need a pick to walk over it, else you get killed | (on some levels baddies change it to normal field) | exit door | will appear when all needed diamonds are collected; | enter it to get to the next level | warp fields | just on some levels; may be active from the start | or will appear with the exit when all diamonds are | collected; use them to skip some levels @endnode @node POINTS "Game: Points" Here is a list of all points you can get during the game: *) Collecting keys, picks, bombs or maps ............... 10 *) Collecting diamonds ................................. 50 *) Use a key to open a door ............................ 25 *) Use a pick .......................................... 20 *) Use a bomb .......................................... 25 *) Use a map ........................................... 100 ? *) shoot baddies ....................................... 100 Bonus points when you solved a level: *) each left second ........................ 20 (else: 5) *) each left key, pick or bomb ............. 50 (else: 20) *) each bonus diamond ...................... 250 (else: 100) And if you've solved all levels: *) final bonus ........................... 10% of your score *) each left map ..................................... 1000 *) each left live .................................... 5000 Ok, now you can count all points on your own, if you think the game counts wrong. 8-)) @endnode @node LEVELWARPS "DANGER! Warping with mixed level..." Let's say there is a warp from level 4 to level 15. Let me call level 4 the source level and level 15 the destination level. Okay. First problem: You don't know when the source level appears. If the source level (here number 4) has been mixed to a position after its original position (let's say 22) then you will warp backwards! This could also used in the other direction, which is very good: the original level 34 with a warp to level 46 has been mixed into position 3. You will actually warp from level 3 to the level which has been mixed into position 46. Second problem: You don't know the destination level and also the following levels. These levels can be harder than the levels after the source level. The next level after the source level may also have a warp to 'higher' levels. Let's add a warp from level 9 to level 28. While playing level 4 appears in first position, level 9 in second position. Let's say in positions 15 to 18 you may have these levels: 42,37,22,47. And in positions 28 to 30 these levels appear: 11,31,8. Would you use the warp from level 4 ? NO, of course not! The levels from position 15 to 18 are much harder and may be skipped with the warp from level 9 which would come next. Summary: Warpes are unpredictable when you mix the levels. In fact it's possible to create a circle. But you can collect much points! @endnode @node REQUIRE "What do I need for this game" I don't know exactly what are the minimum requirements, but if your amiga satisfies the following options the game should work fine: *) Processor: 68030/25Mhz - I don't know about lower types. Try it. *) Memory: 1 MB chip, 512K fast (better 1 MB or more), 602K disc. *) Workbench/Kickstart: 3.0 - But I think 1.3 should be enough. If the games doesn't work at all, please send @{"me" link INFOS} an e-mail that I can update the requirements to save others lots of work. Thanx. @endnode @node LEGAL "Legal status of this software" This game is copyright 2001. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced or removed by any process without written permission of @{"the programmer" link INFOS}. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE OF ANY DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR SYSTEM OR ANY LOST OR DESTROYED DATA. THIS GAME IS FREEWARE. IF YOU WANT TO USE ANYTHING FROM THIS GAME FOR YOUR OWN CREATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT @{"ME" link INFOS} AND INFORM ME ABOUT IT. I'M HAPPY IF YOU MENTION ME IN YOUR CREATIONS. I think that's it. Play the game or not. Don't blame me if something goes wrong. Did you read the @{"requirements" link REQUIRE} ? @endnode @node INSTALL "Install to HD or Floppy" Hard disc: ~~~~~~~~~~ Only copy all files into your desired drawer. Floppy disc: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ First copy all files in the root directory of a bootable disc and create one suitable "s/startup-sequence": - boot game only: DiamChallV1_31 - boot editor only: DC_EditorV1_3 - boot selection: ECHO "Welcome to Diamond Challenge V1.31" LAB Loop ASK "Start editor (y/n) ?" IF WARN DC_EditorV1_3 ELSE DiamChallV1_31 ENDIF SKIP Loop BACK Don't forget to add all required commands from your workbench disk: ECHO, ASK, IF, ELSE, ENDIF and SKIP. - boot to workbench: LOADWB ENDCLI Don't forget to add all required commands from your workbench disk: LOADWB and ENDLCI. Refer to your Workbench manual ;-) for additional files. This depends on your workbench version. That's it. Contanct @{"me" link INFOS}, if you have problems. WinUAE and other Amiga emulators: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hmmm... I just about to buy a PC, so I couldn't test this by mself. In general follow the 'floppy disc' installation above. If you need help, contact me and I will create a booting disc for you. Always copy my default level files "DEFAULT.LEV" and "DEFAULT.SCR" on the game disc. If you want to create new levels with my editor, create a seperate disc with the editor on it, or make a selection before you start a program. If you use a different level file from another disc insert the disc with the game disc. Otherwise the game can't load your levels and will use the default levels. If you want to use music modules use the preload option and insert floppy discs with the music modules on them. Use different names for the discs, like "DCMusic1", "DCMusic2", and so on. Of course I will try this as soon as possible. There will always be an AMIGA EMULATOR on any PC I will buy. !!! AMIGA RULEZ !!! @endnode @node EDITOR "How to create your own levels" Hmmm, I don't know what to say about that. I could explain how the levels are saved to disc and you could create your own editor to do the job. Not very realistic, isn't it ? ;-)) Okay, I'm joking. So you probably will use my editor. Don't try to crack my level files and/or hiscore files. You will crash your Amiga !!! The editor is giftware, so please send @{"me" link INFOS} something: - postcard from *YOUR* locality (not from your recent holidays!!!) - some money (global currencies: US-dollar, EURO, brit. pounds,...) - music CD's (pop music from the 80's prefered, NO HARD ROCK!) - latest Amiga magazines, science fiction books (german, english) - new AMIGAONE, FLAT TV-SET, FERRARI,... ;-)) Thanks. You may want know how to create levels, so click @{"here" link DC_EditorV1_3.Guide/MAIN}. @endnode @node INFOS "More about the programmer" At first, I had to excuse my poor english. It's not my native language. Here's my address if you want to tell me that you only play my game, want to send me some presents or have found some really tricky errors: @{b} KARGL CHRISTIAN WIENERSTRASSE 58 A-8605 KAPFENBERG AUSTRIA - STYRIA email: karglch@sbox.tu-graz.ac.at (until about 2003) @{ub} There is no telephone number if you search for it, because I never know when I'm at home. And I don't want you to pay lots of money for nothing. @{fg highlight} Are there any music composers out there ? I want to add some addictive tunes to the title and hiscore screen. Anybody contact me via e-mail if you have/know some music. @{fg text} History: ~~~~~~~~~~ 20. Okt 2001: Version 1.31 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - added counter for bullets and killed baddies - fixed level counting (just copy & paste problem) 30. Sep 2001: Version 1.3 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - added in game music - added main options screen - minor change to "clock" bonus - full file selector; removed assign "DCLevels:" 24. Jun 2001: Version 1.2 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - added bonus items - small change to baddy routines again 12. May 2001: Version 1.11 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - fixed some minor bugs - corrected level 41 (too few picks) - changed baddy routines (small speed up) 5. May 2001: Version 1.1 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - added warp fields - baddies now killed with bomb explosion - added level loading from device "DCLevels:" - minor changes (faster text typing, error messages) 10. Mar 2001: Version 1.0 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ - fixed some minor bugs - added level number and mixed info to hiscore 4. Nov 1999: finally first release to AmiNet ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 2. Sep 1999: Version 0.9; testing for release to AmiNet ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Bugs: ~~~~~~~ *) display flickers -> Stop other programms in the background. -> Else: start the game from floppy. -> Else: count the number of visible baddies! Values greater 14-16 aren't my fault: the blitter is too slow! I don't use hardware sprites and won't change it, sorry. 8-(( *) no mouse pointer at option screen: -> On higher AmigaOS versions the AmigaDos window don't appear if no output is generated while startup. So the system may not initialize the mouse pointer correctly. (?) Insert something like "cls" or "echo Loading..." in the top of the startup-sequence to make the AmigaDOS window and the mouse pointer appear. (Never happens if you load the game from WB.) @endnode