@database KRSNAke.guide @Master KRSNAke.texi @Width 72 This is the AmigaGuide. file KRSNAke.guide, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the input file KRSNAke.texi. This file documents KRSNAke v1.17 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996 Psilocybe Software Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the sections entitled "Copying" and "GNU General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved by the Free Software Foundation. @Node Main "KRSNAke.guide" @Next "Copying" KRSNAke ******* This is the manual for the game "KRSNAke". This document applies to version 1.17 of KRSNAke. @{" Copying " Link "Copying"} KRSNAke is free software. @{" Introduction " Link "Introduction"} KRSNAke revolutionizes schizophrenic therapy. @{" Requirements " Link "Requirements"} KRSNAke needs lots of expensive hardware. @{" Instructions " Link "Instructions"} KRSNAke is difficult to learn. @{" Clients " Link "Clients"} KRSNAke can't handle the job by itself. @{" Sounds " Link "Sounds"} KRSNAke makes annoying noises. @{" Graphics " Link "Graphics"} KRSNAke can induce epileptic fits. @{" ARexx Commands " Link "ARexx Commands"} KRSNAke has an ARexx port. @{" The Plot " Link "The Plot"} KRSNAke is pointless. @{" Fnord " Link "Fnord"} This chapter does not exist. @{" Why KRSNAke " Link "Why KRSNAke"} KRSNAke has a silly name. @{" Thanks " Link "Thanks"} KRSNAke is ungrateful. @{" Et in Arcadia ego " Link "Et in Arcadia ego"} Mysterious masonic message added by our sponsors. Appendices @{" History " Link "History"} It's Revision History @{" Bugs " Link "Bugs"} Insects? @{" Future " Link "Future"} KRSNAke: The Next Generation @{" Contacting the Author " Link "Contacting the Author"} Spill your heart to the NSA Indices @{" ARexx Command Index " Link "ARexx Command Index"} List of ARexx commands @{" Concept Index " Link "Concept Index"} List of relevant concepts @EndNode @Node "Copying" "KRSNAke.guide/Copying" @Next "Introduction" @Prev "Main" @Toc "Main" GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991 Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. Preamble The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This General Public License applies to most of the Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it to your programs, too. When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things. 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If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original authors' reputations. Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software patents. We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the program proprietary. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all. The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and modification follow. GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION 0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the terms of this General Public License. The "Program", below, refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program" means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it, either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term "modification".) Each licensee is addressed as "you". Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does. 1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program. You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee. 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions: a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the date of any change. b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License. c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively when run, you must cause it, when started running for such interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this License. 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You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following: a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or, b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or, c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. 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If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original copyright holder who places the Program under this License may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus excluded. In such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if written in the body of this License. 9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that version or of any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation. 10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the Free Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. NO WARRANTY 11. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. 12. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS Appendix: How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs If you develop a new program, and you want it to be of the greatest possible use to the public, the best way to achieve this is to make it free software which everyone can redistribute and change under these terms. To do so, attach the following notices to the program. It is safest to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least the "copyright" line and a pointer to where the full notice is found. Copyright (C) 19yy This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail. If the program is interactive, make it output a short notice like this when it starts in an interactive mode: Gnomovision version 69, Copyright (C) 19yy name of author Gnomovision comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type `show w'. This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; type `show c' for details. The hypothetical commands `show w' and `show c' should show the appropriate parts of the General Public License. Of course, the commands you use may be called something other than `show w' and `show c'; they could even be mouse-clicks or menu items--whatever suits your program. You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your school, if any, to sign a "copyright disclaimer" for the program, if necessary. Here is a sample; alter the names: Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the program `Gnomovision' (which makes passes at compilers) written by James Hacker. , 1 April 1989 Ty Coon, President of Vice This General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into proprietary programs. If your program is a subroutine library, you may consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the library. If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Library General Public License instead of this License. @EndNode @Node "Introduction" "KRSNAke.guide/Introduction" @Next "Requirements" @Prev "Copying" @Toc "Main" Introduction ************ *snake* /sneik/ *n* *1* any of various types of long, legless crawling reptile, some of which are poisonous. - `Oxford Dictionary of Current English' Arjuna was surprised. KRSNAke - the definition ======================== "KRSNAke" can be considered one of a number of things. If you strip away the philosophical considerations and the fancy evasions of the thruth about the matter, I suppose you could call it a game. However, for the sake of argument, let us say that "KRSNAke" is not justified by the simple definition "game" and the negative associations this word generates in intellectual circles. Indeed, given enough ingenuity, one could quite possibly argue that "KRSNAke" can be anything whatsoever, including a cabbage. This is, however, not the point I desired to make. While the question of "KRSNAke"'s vegetable status may well give rise to terrible philosophic strife, factionism, and eventual Hegelian compromise, I would rather prefer to focus on the therapeutic abilities of said ophidian. This would seem a revolutionary and, indeed, outrageously pointless approach to the military men and CIA directors of our age, but, knowing full well that I face ostracism and possibly even persecution, I wish to direct the world's attention to the virtues of this wonderful legless vertebrate. Or perhaps, on second thought, I won't. Suffice to say that playing KRSNAke is a worthwhile pursuit given the fact that more pointless things, like existence, have been known to happen. There are religious issues as well concerning this scaly animal. For the judeo-christian tradition, in particular, the snake possesses a special meaning. If you are a devout Jew or Christian and worry about playing a game where a snake plays the leading role, don't worry. You don't have to play a snake. You can play anything your mind could conceive, from an earthworm (which is included in the distribution) to a field of static (which you will have to design yourself) or a giant penis (in which case it might be wise for you to see your psychiatrist). For further debate on the subject of snakes and religion, refer to the "KRSNAke Web page", of which you will find more information below. The KRSNAke Web page ==================== If you really want to read in-depth about advanced ophiolatry, you can check the "KRSNAke home page" (where you can also get the latest beta version of the legless reptile). (1) http://login.eunet.no/~morsteen/krsnake/ EMACS! Hegel ===== Suppose you claim that the snake must be an animal, because if it needs to eat, it demonstrates a lack of photosynthetic ability. Consider this the original thesis. Then suppose I claim that the snake must, on the contrary, be a vegetable, because some species of snake are demonstrably green of hue, indicating the presence of chlorophyl, and that the consumption of edibles is meant only to throw us off the track. Consider this the antithesis. There is immense debate around this issue, especially given that both arguments seem entirely valid(2). Two warring schools of thought develop, and people are generally very upset about the question. (3) Well, according to this fine fellow Hegel, eventually there will be a synthesis of these two ideas, meaning that the snake is believed to be *both an animal and a vegetable at the same time*. Now isn't that awfully nice? A perversion of philosophy, perhaps, but it certainly makes people get along better. And after all, that's what philosophy really is all about. (4) ---------- Footnotes ---------- (1) I do not, however, guarantee that at any time the most recent beta version will be available at this site, or indeed that there will *be* a new beta version. I do, in fact, have better things to waste my pointless life on than a snake with a fruit fixation. You are hereby warned. (2) Yes, from the paranoiac's point of view, the second argument is *very* valid. Trust me on this. (3) Do you believe that? (4) Do you believe that? @EndNode @Node "Requirements" "KRSNAke.guide/Requirements" @Next "Instructions" @Prev "Introduction" @Toc "Main" Requirements ************ You'll need the following thingies to play KRSNAke: * Amiga with KS3.0+ * a screen with 16 colours or more if you want a colourful game * lowlevel.library v40+, if you want to play with your joystick (but you don't, trust me) or your CD32 game controller * playsid.library, if you want to listen to REAL music while playing * medplayer.library, if you want to listen to some of that modern trash while playing * initiation as at least 30th degree Scottish Rite mason (Knight Kadosh), or membership in the Knights Templar or the Priory of Sion; alternatively, you can be the Pope @EndNode @Node "Instructions" "KRSNAke.guide/Instructions" @Next "Clients" @Prev "Requirements" @Toc "Main" Playing instructions ******************** Keyboard controls follow. * `SPACE' starts the game * `ARROW KEYS' or a joystick or game controller in port 2 control the snake * `P' pauses the game * Clicking the left mousebutton 23 times on the snake's head starts an MPEG animation of an 18th degree Masonic initiation, with comments read by Prof. Adam Weishaupt (1) * Numeric keys (`1' - `9') adjusts the game speed * `TAB' provides incontrovertible evidence that Christ founded the Merovingian dynasty (2) * `Ctrl-C' restores the Stuarts to the throne of England (please use sparingly) * `ESC' shuts down the game * If the window is deactivated, the game will (should...) pause. ---------- Footnotes ---------- (1) Do you believe that? (2) Do not employ this function if you are a devout Christian and wish to remain so, as the foundation of the Christian faith is Christ's death and resurrection, and evidence to the contrary would be unhealthy for your present dogma. You have been warned. Fnord. @EndNode @Node "Clients" "KRSNAke.guide/Clients" @Next "Hall of Fame" @Prev "Instructions" @Toc "Main" Clients ******* "Clients" are programs that work in cooperation with "KRSNAke" to provide the user with extended functionality or additional information. "KRSNAke" is the "server" in this connection, and the clients basically receive various types of information from "KRSNAke", which they may choose either to ignore or to act upon in a given way, usually defining the function of the given client. When KRSNAke starts, it looks for a subdirectory called `Clients' in its home directory. All files found in this directory will be launched. If they are KRSNAke clients, they should attach themselves to KRSNAke and function as they're expected to. If they're other programs, they'll be started too - but generally you shouldn't put anything besides KRSNAke clients in the "Clients" directory. At present, there are two KRSNAke clients available; the `Hall of Fame' and the `Action Replay'. The former records high scores, the latter records games for subsequent replay. See their individual descriptions for more details. Available clients @{" Hall of Fame " Link "Hall of Fame"} High scores @{" Action Replay " Link "Action Replay"} Game recorder @EndNode @Node "Hall of Fame" "KRSNAke.guide/Hall of Fame" @Next "Action Replay" @Prev "Clients" @Toc "Clients" The Hall of Fame ================ This client keeps track of high scores. Each player has only one entry - this is contrary to most high score tables, but as the Hall of Fame can handle an unlimited number of entries, this helps cut back a little on the table size. The default name offered the player the first time the Hall of Fame registers a high score is taken from the system variable USER. "MultiUserFileSystem" and similar applications usually maintain this variable. If it is not present, the "Hall of Fame" reverts to `Crassus'. The default name is stored in the snapshot file whenever the "Hall of Fame" exits, and the name stored here is used if it exists. If you're intimidated by the default entries, being such conspiratorial characters as Templars, Masons and Rosicrucians, you can replace the file `ENVARC:KRSNAke/HallOfFame.data' with an empty file, and you'll have a blank Hall of Fame. But really, that's being rather paranoid. @EndNode @Node "Action Replay" "KRSNAke.guide/Action Replay" @Next "Sounds" @Prev "Hall of Fame" @Toc "Clients" The Action Replay ================= This client records your games and lets you replay them at any speed. Use the keyboard to control it; when the "Action Replay" window is active, press the `R' key to begin the replay (even if you're still playing; though it's a good idea to pause the game before doing this ...). Press a numeric key to adjust the speed - as you'd do with "KRSNAke" itself. When replaying, you can press `SPACE' to abort. Eventually you can load and save replays. At present, I haven't even begun programming this. Don't hold your breath for it unless you can survive for indefinite periods without air. @EndNode @Node "Sounds" "KRSNAke.guide/Sounds" @Next "Graphics" @Prev "Action Replay" @Toc "Main" Sounds ****** "KRSNAke" can be set to play given sounds with given events. At present, these events are at the start of each game, each time the snake eats a fruit, and when it crashes or bites itself. I think I ought to mention what kinds of sounds can be played by "KRSNAke". At present, it supports any sounds you've installed "datatypes" for, "ProTracker" modules (through `protracker.library'), "MED/OctaMED" modules (only 4-channel, through `medplayer.library'), "Player 6.1" modules (with "P61A" headers only, through `player61.library'), and "PlaySID" modules (only one-file, through `playsid.library'). With the exception of `protracker.library' and `player61.library', these libraries are not included in the "KRSNAke" distribution, mostly for the purpose of evading any legal action resulting from possible copyright infringements, but also because it's really fun to turn the AmiNet upside down trying to locate them. (You don't think so?) @EndNode @Node "Graphics" "KRSNAke.guide/Graphics" @Next "Designing Graphics" @Prev "Sounds" @Toc "Main" Graphics ******** Does a snake have to be a snake? System pens =========== In KRSNAke, you can define several ways of rendering the snake and its surroundings. The default method is by using the appropriate system pens. This produces an exceedingly dull but completely compatible set of blocks meant to symbolise a snake. RGB colours =========== Number two, moving up on the complexity ladder, is where you pick an RGB colour from the 16.8 million colours available on the Amiga. The result is, essentially, more colourful dull blocks. Datatypes ========= Then there is the datatypes option. Here you select a graphic image, which can be in any format you possess datatypes for, which will be rendered inside the dull blocks or as the background. For the background, this will probably be the most interesting option - and besides, this is as high as it goes for the background. KRSNAke graphics ================ Finally there is the big one. For the snake itself, and for the fruits (or whatever you want them to represent), you can choose special graphic images that will be scaled and remapped to fit your playing area, and that will, more importantly, *not* be dull blocks. These graphics must conform to certain specifications (see @{"Designing Graphics" Link "Designing Graphics"}), but are really very flexible, and above all, very *attractive*. More about graphics @{" Designing Graphics " Link "Designing Graphics"} When the snake is not enough @EndNode @Node "Designing Graphics" "KRSNAke.guide/Designing Graphics" @Next "ARexx Commands" @Prev "Graphics" @Toc "Graphics" Designing Graphics ================== Generally, you'd be well advised to sit down and create your own set of graphics for the "KRSNAke" game. Given my own skills as an artist, the graphics accompanying the distribution are somewhat lacking. And before I say anything else, I have to mention the *number one restriction*. This is that *all KRSNAke graphic files must be IFF ILBM files with a CMAP chunk*. Fair enough? Anything else will fail to load. You should also be aware that "KRSNAke" sometimes needs to write to these files, so they should not exist on a read-only medium, like a CD. There are two types of graphics, the snake and the fruit. The fruit is the easiest to create - this is simply a picture of whatever fruit you're implementing. It will be scaled and remapped to fit into a block in the playing field. The block size is displayed in "KRSNAke"'s status bar immediately after loading. The fruit file name must end in `.f1', to identify it as a fruit file. Then there is the snake. This is a lot more complex. The snake graphic consists of twenty consecutive images, each of the same size, one beneath the other. They will be remapped and scaled just as the fruit graphics. The snake file name must end in `.s1', and the order of the images is as follows, with `*' representing the part of the image moving in the forward direction, and `-' representing any other part of the snake. I hope you get the picture - if you don't, try looking at the included snake graphics. Here goes: --* - snake body | | - snake body * *-- - snake body * | - snake body | --* - snake head | | - snake head * *-- - snake head * | - snake head | -* - snake tail | - snake tail * *- - snake tail * | - snake tail +* - snake body | | +* - snake body -+ - snake body * * -+ - snake body +- - snake body * * +- - snake body *+ - snake body | | *+ - snake body @EndNode @Node "ARexx Commands" "KRSNAke.guide/ARexx Commands" @Next "The Plot" @Prev "Designing Graphics" @Toc "Main" ARexx commands ************** I'll be brief about this, as you can really only write rather silly scripts for "KRSNAke" anyway. `UP' tells the snake to move upwards `DOWN' what you'd expect `LEFT' ditto `RIGHT' ditto `QUIT' exits KRSNAke `NEWGAME' starts a new game if no game is playing `VERSION' returns the version string `HIDE' hides KRSNAke `SHOW' shows KRSNAke `WAIT FOR n' waits n snake moves `WAIT UNTIL X n' wait until snake reaches x position n `WAIT UNTIL Y n' wait until snake reaches y position n `SET SPEED n' sets the speed to n `GET LENGTH' returns the snake's length `GET PLAYING' returns 1 if a game is playing, 0 otherwise `PAUSE' pauses the game (a move resumes) `GET HEAD X' returns the x pos of the head `GET HEAD Y' same with y pos `GET FRUIT X' returns the x pos of the current fruit `GET FRUIT Y' you guessed it `CHECK X Y' returns 1 if (x,y) is occupied by the snake, 0 otherwise That's all. Check out the example script for an example. @EndNode @Node "The Plot" "KRSNAke.guide/The Plot" @Next "Fnord" @Prev "ARexx Commands" @Toc "Main" The Plot ******** You are a snake. You are hungry. Eat the fruits. OK, so that's not a very deep plot. But at least even a six-year-old can understand it. And everyone besides a six-year-old has played a game like this before. This may sound pathetically nostalgic, but I'm of the opinion that KRSNAke is a damn sight deeper than Super Mario. Any six-year-olds out there are welcome to disagree. Fnord. Sorry there's no Windows version. We all know full well if there's no Windows version the game isn't worth anything. Even Doom, an operating system in its own right, has a Windows version these days. What a shame. @EndNode @Node "Fnord" "KRSNAke.guide/Fnord" @Next "Why KRSNAke" @Prev "The Plot" @Toc "Main" Fnord ***** This chapter does not exist. (1) ---------- Footnotes ---------- (1) No, this is *not* sarcasm at the expense of Grudge/Blue Book report 13. Fnord. @EndNode @Node "Why KRSNAke" "KRSNAke.guide/Why KRSNAke" @Next "Thanks" @Prev "Fnord" @Toc "Main" Why KRSNAke? ************ Well, I originally intended to call the game EMACS (which means `Elvis Masterminds All Computer Snakes'), but I found out someone has already made a program by that name. It's just a text editor. What a shame. Anyway, the name `KRSNAke' came about as a tribute to Krsna and Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krsna! @EndNode @Node "Thanks" "KRSNAke.guide/Thanks" @Next "Et in Arcadia ego" @Prev "Why KRSNAke" @Toc "Main" Thanks ****** To the following people in particular for beta testing: - Eirik Risholm - Kurt Røsand - Morten Steen - Arild Sæther - Frode Wærnes To everyone who mailed me bug reports. And in particular: - Tim Leary, the Prophet, for His Prophecy - Christian Rosenkreutz for his chemical wedding - Wouter van Oortmerssen for False - Hugues de Payens for the Knights Templar - Olaf Barthel for gtlayout.library - Poussin for the Shepherds of Arcadia - Christ for the Habsburgs - SASG for nothing (except for being quacks) - and Elvis for everything. Varied illuminated greetings to: Adam Weishaupt, Charles XIII, Jacques de Molay, Isaac Newton, Claude Debussy, George Washington, C. Iulius Caesar Octavianus Augustus, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Tore Våg, Aleister Crowley, Leonardo da Vinci and Captain Merrill Stubing, Primus Illuminatus. @EndNode @Node "Et in Arcadia ego" "KRSNAke.guide/Et in Arcadia ego" @Next "History" @Prev "Thanks" @Toc "Main" Et in Arcadia ego ***************** A Dagobert II roi et a Sion est ce tresor et il est la mort. @EndNode @Node "History" "KRSNAke.guide/History" @Next "Bugs" @Prev "Et in Arcadia ego" @Toc "Main" Revision History **************** 22 Feb 1996 : 001.017 : Notifies user about important dates :) 26 Jan 1996 : 001.016 : Optimised and debugged ARexx interface 24 Oct 1995 : 001.015 : Uses new server notification system 24 Oct 1995 : 001.014 : Resets itself when prefs are changed 19 Oct 1995 : 001.013 : Graphic snake is scaled and masked 14 Oct 1995 : 001.012 : Snake can be graphic now 13 Oct 1995 : 001.011 : Added locale support 08 Oct 1995 : 001.010 : Optimised the score updating a little. 08 Oct 1995 : 001.009 : Oops.. Rnd() wasn't properly seeded. Fixed now. 22 Sep 1995 : 001.008 : Now is a commodity, can appear/disappear. 19 Sep 1995 : 001.007 : Added ARexx port and cleaned up imsg handling. 10 Sep 1995 : 001.006 : Uses new prefs system and datatype backgrounds. 12 Jul 1995 : 001.005 : Uses krsnake.library instead of internal c/s code. 11 Jul 1995 : 001.004 : Autostarts clients. 07 Jul 1995 : 001.003 : Now sends SNAKE_MOVES event to clients. 27 Jun 1995 : 001.002 : Added client/server interface. 23 Jun 1995 : 001.001 : Initial revision @EndNode @Node "Bugs" "KRSNAke.guide/Bugs" @Next "Future" @Prev "History" @Toc "Main" Bugs **** Well, I suppose it happens even in the best of families... * KRSNAke is not too thrilled about the Picasso II card, and quite possibly about other graphics boards as well, though it's yet only been tested on the Picasso II. We haven't been able to pin this bug down yet, but it appears that after a while of playing KRSNAke on a Picasso screen, *something* locks up the machine. I wish I knew what it was - I suspect the ActionReplay, but I don't actually know yet. This is a priority, though - I'll get down to fixing it as soon as possible. * Also, the ActionReplay client isn't too stable - or perhaps it's the krsnake.library, who's to say... Anyway, ActionReplay is to be used with caution. Well, it works most of the time, but sometimes it just goes and crashes. Now that was very helpful, wasn't it? Fnord. Well, if *you* can find a bug, mail us and we'll put your *very own bug* on this list! Lucky you... If you're *really* lucky I might even *fix* the bug! @EndNode @Node "Future" "KRSNAke.guide/Future" @Next "Contacting the Author" @Prev "Bugs" @Toc "Main" Future ****** The future will be KRSNAke 2.0 the BOOPSI gadget. Well, perhaps. That's an idea I had anyway... What will definitely be implemented is a very advanced multiplayer mode - play against a friend on your machine, against a friend over a serial, parallel or network link, or against one of several computer AI routines. And possibly several modes of play, like a snake that shrinks when it grows hungry, or fruits that disappear after a while, or what have you. And of course I'll probably code it all from scratch again, introducing a whole ecosystem of new bugs and inadequacies. But aside from that, it should prove to be an interesting experience, both for me as the programmer and you as the player. Now if I could only get started... @EndNode @Node "Contacting the Author" "KRSNAke.guide/Contacting the Author" @Next "ARexx Command Index" @Prev "Future" @Toc "Main" Contacting the Author ********************* I myself is a bit hard to reach by email right now, as I'm about to get myself a new account, and I don't currently have one that's usable. So if you want to get in touch with me by email, you should write to one of my friends and ask them to forward the mail to me. The addresses you can try are as follows: * morsteen@login.eunet.no (might not be valid for long, but likely the fastest) * kurtro@login.eunet.no * arildsat@stud.unit.no (will be valid for a long time, but try the other ones first) If you want to punish yourself, or if you don't have access to the Internet, you can write me a letter and snail-mail it to me, in which case you would write to: Petter E. Stokke Kaptein Bothners gate 18 N-6500 KRISTIANSUND Norway Or, if you have money to throw around, or just happens to live somewhere nearby, you could phone me at +47-71672107 (chances are you'll be talking to someone who thinks English is a type of small furry animal, but if you keep asking for me you'll undoubtedly get through). Finally, there's the KRSNAke support BBS. You can reach this by dialling +47-71671605, and it is called Boss BBS. Join the KRSNAke conference on this board and drop me a line. And, although by this time it's rather a bit of a cobweb site, there's always the KRSNAke Home Page (I promise I'll update it *real soon now*): http://login.eunet.no/~morsteen/krsnake/ Now if that's not enough information for you to get hold of me, it's certainly not my fault! Finally, here's a reproduction of my PGP key - remember you need PGP 2.6.2 or higher to read it (I'm of the paranoid sort - 2030 bits): -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.3i mQELAjBuiYYAAAEH7jQOOcpApxQhPkhsW935Z1lzx1tnh9GZT2HHdEKiZAjQU3To 4AlgeRPjgHB7MojGjxTm85I4AYlyu0Aq9iNbnT8Di9T6i11uHnIChWuP0bmnifN+ Kj5l8yh8bVC9Pwg7+NnVAEhhYIoDpr4/eWWqcbQbaWsLAsdfj7Q97nlUTmtIMXHB +iJUz8S60mYhkOGTMGYaJMNCwNTxnwb9ioCTfQN0j2yPPx3QNZC6Mc8B1POK2kKm c5H/BhmJI4Nqsv/scDDZPmSp9fVVe/zouPhCHJsBa+VChoQiO09XsnKl6AIaZsNe WzaXmSDsxSapm3GetmJ2UBRtWfR5yPqJSacdAAUTtCVQZXR0ZXIgRS4gU3Rva2tl IDxzdG9ra2VAdGVsZXBvc3Qubm8+iQCVAwUQMLe8bqQGNsR7VMgNAQF9iQP9EjQ4 KRdF9EheE5L06a0tZMxidR7dcKxBPRHrz2XrvCDqXAsDfOWjv1vvYS/EamphX73O M5S1XjAzgUTrJOOQxvGo4wFwj1BevrwG5JIzsCgQNm+QPnReboQOhMpeY9XoXu7Y Q0ikGlEvSSosplSufx3Bwx2FTNH/bMvGAR6f9V6JAJUCBRAwea681WUeXHaEB0kB AbfYBACttHu40MEGcUQwFQr6qx7/5jaexe5mARJHgCBfdoGTx6TvJCzvsm7iZYQj tQP6PpiQPNaJZjRpvZaiQUBH4/v6vzPsu+PF3Q6JL0I4Poowb3pJgvf6Et2ofN9F 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y5qMY31RLq+lhqOqtsiSiyljxWkKfla0JgPYX1x1VoQeZV//aSVx+shMSUW2RDNX PSElnQAANh9o/RKfa1qWDE6U2U4GP3e7SBWIp7mxi0eJQsx6Inou/ZLnwpBUqzci pCAQUa2V0A== =NsCM -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- @EndNode @Node "ARexx Command Index" "KRSNAke.guide/ARexx Command Index" @Next "Concept Index" @Prev "Contacting the Author" @Toc "Main" ARexx Command Index ******************* @{" CHECK X Y " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" DOWN " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET FRUIT X " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET FRUIT Y " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET HEAD X " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET HEAD Y " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET LENGTH " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" GET PLAYING " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" HIDE " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" LEFT " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" NEWGAME " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" PAUSE " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" QUIT " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" RIGHT " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" SET SPEED n " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" SHOW " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" UP " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" VERSION " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" WAIT FOR n " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" WAIT UNTIL X n " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" WAIT UNTIL Y n " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @EndNode @Node "Concept Index" "KRSNAke.guide/Concept Index" @Prev "ARexx Command Index" @Toc "Main" Concept Index ************* @{" gtlayout.library " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" medplayer.library " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" player61.library " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" playsid.library " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" protracker.library " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Action Replay " Link "Action Replay"} Action Replay @{" AmiNet " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Antithesis " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" ARexx commands " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" Arjuna " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Barthel, Olaf " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Blue Book, Project " Link "Fnord"} Fnord @{" Cabbage " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Christ " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Christ " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Christianity " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" CIA " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Clients " Link "Clients"} Clients @{" Clients, Action Replay " Link "Action Replay"} Action Replay @{" Clients, Hall of Fame " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Colours, RGB " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Commands, ARexx " Link "ARexx Commands"} ARexx Commands @{" Crassus, Marcus Licinius " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Dagobert II " Link "Et in Arcadia ego"} Et in Arcadia ego @{" Datatypes " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Datatypes " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Designing graphics " Link "Designing Graphics"} Designing Graphics @{" Doom " Link "The Plot"} The Plot @{" Earthworm " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" EMACS " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" EMACS " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" Existence " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Fnord " Link "Fnord"} Fnord @{" Graphics " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Graphics, Datatypes " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Graphics, Designing " Link "Designing Graphics"} Designing Graphics @{" Graphics, KRSNAke graphics " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Graphics, RGB colours " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Graphics, System pens " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Grudge/Blue Book, Project " Link "Fnord"} Fnord @{" Habsburg, House of " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Hall of Fame " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Hasselhoff, David " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Instructions " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Introduction " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Judaism " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Judeo-Christian Tradition " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Keyboard controls " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" King, The " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" King, The " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Knights Templar " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" Knights Templar " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Knights Templar " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Krishna " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" Krsna " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" KRSNAke graphics " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Leary, Timothy " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Mario, Super " Link "The Plot"} The Plot @{" Mason, Knight Kadosh " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" Masonry " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Masonry " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Masonry " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" MED " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Merovingian dynasty " Link "Et in Arcadia ego"} Et in Arcadia ego @{" Merovingian dynasty " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Module, MED/OctaMED " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Module, Player 6.1 " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Module, PlaySID " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Module, ProTracker " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" MultiUserFileSystem " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" OctaMED " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Oortmerssen, Wouter van " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Ophiolatry " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Payens, Hugues de " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Pens, System " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Player 6.1 " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Playing instructions " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" PlaySID " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Plot, The " Link "The Plot"} The Plot @{" Pope, The " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" Poussin, Nicolas " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" Presley, Elvis " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Presley, Elvis " Link "Why KRSNAke"} Why KRSNAke @{" Priory of Sion " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" Priory of Sion " Link "Et in Arcadia ego"} Et in Arcadia ego @{" Project Blue Book " Link "Fnord"} Fnord @{" ProTracker " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Pushy " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Requirements " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" RGB colours " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Risholm, Eirik " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Rosenkreutz, Christian " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Rosicrucians " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Snake, Animal or Vegetable? " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Snake, Definition " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Sounds " Link "Sounds"} Sounds @{" Stuart, House of " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Super Mario " Link "The Plot"} The Plot @{" Synthesis " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" System pens " Link "Graphics"} Graphics @{" Templars " Link "Requirements"} Requirements @{" Templars " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Templars " Link "Hall of Fame"} Hall of Fame @{" Thesis " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Web page " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @{" Weishaupt, Adam " Link "Thanks"} Thanks @{" Weishaupt, Adam " Link "Instructions"} Instructions @{" Windows " Link "The Plot"} The Plot @{" World Wide Web " Link "Introduction"} Introduction @EndNode