@database Pairs.guide @node main "Pairs AGA v1.31" October 1996 @{" Freeware " link Freeware} @{" Aim of the game " link Rules} @{" ToolTypes " link ToolTypes} @{" IFF2Block tool " link IFFtoBlock} @{" MergeHighscores " link MergeHighscores} @{" Bugs/Problems " link Bugs} @{" History " link History} @{" Other projects " link Projects} My address: Tobias Lenz Geitnerweg 21K 12209 Berlin Germany e-mail: lenzmi@zedat.fu-berlin.de @endnode @node Freeware Pairs is freeware. This means everybody is allowed to copy Pairs but it is strictly forbidden to manipulate one of the files or to remove a file from the package. You are allowed to include your highscore file. You use Pairs on your own risk! Although Pairs is freeware, I would appreciate a small donation and you would support Pairs Amiga development. Otherwise this (version 1.31) might be the final update for Pairs Amiga. My bank account (I think for Europe only!): Tobias Lenz Nr. 622281-102 Postbank Berlin BLZ 10010010 If you want to include Pairs in a package (e.g. a Freeware CD) you MUST contact me first (e-mail!) and tell me - the name of the package. - the price. - the name of the company who sells it. It is allowed to include Pairs in the Aminet CD series, the Aminet Set, the Amiga Games CD and the ACP&TCP CD. @endnode @node Rules The idea is easy: 1. You have to find a pair of blocks. 2. Try (in your mind) to draw a line with 90 degree angles from one block to the other. 3. If this line has zero, one or two angles, both blocks will disappear. If there is no block left, you completed the level and a new one is created. To have a real challenge the available time is reduces by 5 seconds every time you have completed a level. You start with 280 seconds in novice mode and 200 seconds as pro. The "connection line" needs more time for a longer distance, so find the nearest pairs. You do not have to wait for the "connection line", your mouse clicks are stored in memory. The program detects illegal moves itself and does not accept them. With the left mouse button you select a block and with the right one you can deselect it. Use to return to the main menu or press

to pause the game. The game also is paused if you activate a different window e.g. on the Workbench. In pause mode Pairs needs nearly no cpu time - very multitasking friendly. In the menu you can also leave the game by pressing . @endnode @node ToolTypes Supported ToolTypes are: BLOCK_SET= This ToolType is necessary to run Pairs. Pairs includes a directory "Blocks" with a "Default.PBS" file in it. If you do not have other block sets you must set BLOCK_SET=Blocks/Default.PBS. You can also load different block sets in the main menu of Pairs, but it is faster to load your favourite block set automatically everytime you start Pairs. DEF_DIFF= The only valid parameter is PRO, otherwise the difficulty level is set to novice. You can also change this within the game. SCR_MODE= The parameters DblPAL and DblNTSC are allowed, to run Pairs in this screen mode, otherwise Pairs uses Multiscan:Productivity. @endnode @node IFFtoBlock Usage (CLI only): IFF2Block Example: IFF2Block df0:my_picture.iff dh1:Pairs/Blocks/MyOwnBlocks.PBS IFF file name: The name of a picture file in IFF format (e.g. with DPaint). Note that the width of the picture must be 640 pixels and the depth must be 7 planes (=128 colors). The picture should contain 24 different blocks with a size of 32*32 ordered in this way: (top left corner) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Block set file name: The name of the block set file IFF2Block will create. Pairs is searching its block sets in the directory "Blocks" with the suffix ".PBS" (=Pairs Block Set). Feel free to upload your created block sets to Aminet. To make it easier to search for block sets put a "PBS" in the name or in the "Short" line of the .readme file. IFF2Block displays the picture while generating the block set. If there is something wrong with the picture or the colors, you should check the picture file for a saved "stencil mask". If all fails, you could e-mail your picture file to me (MIME (not uuEncode!), please) and maybe I can help you. @endnode @node MergeHighscores Usage (CLI only): MergeHighscores Example: MergeHighscores dh0:pairs/my_score df0:friend_score ram:new_table score file name 1 and 2: The names of existing highscore files (default is "Pairs_highscores"). new score file name: The name of the new highscore file MergeHighscores will create. To use this new merged highscore table, you have to copy it to your Pairs directory an rename it to "Pairs_highscores". If MergeHighscores detects similar entrys in both highscores, it uses this entry only one time. Merging a highscore to itselfs will create a copy of the highscore. MergeHighscores is usefull for groups of Pairs players. Everybody is playing on his/her computer with an own highscore file. After a period of time there is only one name left in the highscore and it is no longer a challange. So, copy your highscore file to disk, visit your friends and merge all the highscores together using MergeHighscores and copy it back to your Pairs directory. @endnode @node Bugs Bugs? Where are they? Hit them, bash them, kick them!!! How do you mean "in my program"? - Oh, that kind of bugs! If you really should find a bug in Pairs, feel free to send me a report about what happend under which circumstances. If you email your problem report to me, you will get an anwser within two weeks and maybe a corrected version of Pairs (who knows). Remember that Pairs needs AGA chipset, OS 3.0, MC68EC020 or higher and the screen mode Multiscan:Productivity, DblPAL or DblNTSC. The name of the main program must be "Pairs" and it must have an icon file "Pairs.info", or it cannot find the ToolTypes. @endnode @node History v1.0 (May 1996): * First public release v1.2 (May 1996): * Bad bug in time counter removed: If time reaches zero directly after you clicked on the second block of a pair, the time was set to 65535 and corrupted the display (took a while to get the time bonus). * Game crashed if you got the last place in the highscore table, played again and reached another entry in the highscore (Guru 80000004) * Speed records table included * Info screen enhanced * Raised start time from 250 to 275 seconds for "non professional" players * Some routines slightly optimized Thanks to Audrey McCalla, Ralf Friedrich, Simon Gilligan, Tim Trepanier and Kenji Irie for their bug reports. v1.3 (June 1996): * Included novice/pro switch with two seperate time limits/highscores Highscore format changed - sorry, old highscores will become erased * Now supports screen modes DblPAL and DblNTSC Screen mode selection using ToolTypes * Included two utilities: IFF2Block and MergeHighscores * New menu option LOAD BLOCK SET to load your selfmade block sets * Program size and memory usage reduced (about 9kb) Thanks to Jon Peterson and Kenji Irie for their ideas. v1.31 (October 1996): * First public release on PC (v1.4) (compatible highscores/block sets) * CPU usage reduced in main menu (multitasking!) * Changed the "connection line" * Included two more blocks sets For the future: ... @endnode @node Projects If you like this game and if you believe in my programming skills, you can download all my games from Aminet or on the DIGITAL Nightmares homepage http://www.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.de/~miha (mainly PC stuff). The PC version of Pairs with a fantastic explode effect is also available on the DN homepage. Other Amiga games are (all AGA only): AmiCross (game/think) - a logic puzzle game (german) BOOM (game/2play) - BomberMan/DynaBlaster clone ...and maybe more will follow. You are a graphic artist? You want to create graphics for games? You have some free time? If you can answer this three questions with a loud "YES", then it is time for you to contact me (email prefered). Send some samples of your work in IFF, GIF, JPEG (high quality) or PCX format. @endnode