@database 002d9ce8-0 @master A_R.guide @node "Main" "Aerial Racers Guide" +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | | + Aerial Racers v0.99 - Freeware!!! + | Released: March '97 | + + | ©Copyright 1995/96 Insane Software | + + | Please read the Registration section. | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Created by Vaughan Roberts, Insane Software. @{" Legal Info    " link "Legal Stuff" 0} Covering our asses. @{" Requirements  " link "Hardware" 0} What you need. @{" Installation  " link "Install" 0} Stick it wherever. @{" Registration  " link "Reg" 0} It's free!! @{" Gameplay      " link "Play" 0} If you need the help. @{" Track Editor " link "Editor" 0} Design your own tracks! @{" Future Plans  " link "Plans" 0} You mean there's more? @{" Addresses    " link "Credits" 0} Where to find us plus our credits. @{" History! " link "history" 0} How did it happen! @endnode @node "Legal Stuff" "Legal Stuff" The usual Legal Mumbo Jumbo. ---------------------------- Disclaimer: We make no warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the software described in this document, its quality, performance, or fitness for any particular purpose. Any risk concerning it's quality or performance is solely the user's. Should the program prove defective, the user assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction and any incidental or consequential damages. In no event will we be liable for direct, indirect or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software. You may freely distribute this archive as long as all files contained in the original archive(s) are included and remain unaltered. Although Aerial Racers is freeware, no one shall make a profit through it's distribution. You should pay no more than the cost of the media upon which it is transferred. If included in a public domain library it is the responsibility of the PD library to always carry and redistribute the most recent version available. If this game is to feature on any magazine cover disk then please contact me, Vaughan Roberts, incase any improvements have been made to the game since any previous releases. Aerial Racers and all associated files are ©Copyright Insane Software 1995/97. @endnode @node "Hardware" "Requirements" You must run your Amiga in PAL mode to play Aerial Racers. Aerial Racers should run on a base A1200, however this might not be the case. If it does crash try freeing as much memory as possible, and please let me know of any difficulties. Note: this version of Aerial Racers is not AGA specific, so it could run on a souped up A500 or A2000 (1meg chip minimum)..... give it a go, who knows. Please also note that running any background tasks could possibly cause a crash. If it does crash then make sure all commodities are turned off. Aerial Racers has been tested on the following machines: * A1200 0MB, 4MB * A1200 030/28 4MB * A1200 030/33 882/33 (Microbotix) 10MB I've heard that there is problems with Amiga's equipped with '060 processors, so if anyone has one of these could they please let me know if the game does or doesn't work... thanks. I've previously stated that Aerial Racers would move to AGA only. However due to the many responses from people asking for it to remain ECS compatible I've endeavoured to keep it so. Although it won't be necessary to have an AGA Amiga, your machine will have to be comparable to an A1200 - memory and speed wise. @endnode @node "Install" "Installing Aerial Racers" Aerial Racers Hard Disk Install ------------------------------- Firstly remove any old versions of Aerial Racers. To install Aerial Racers simply uncompact the Aerial Racers archive to where you want it... Make sure the subdirectories within your directory match the ones in the distribution archive. To play Aerial Racers, either click the Workbench icon, or start the game from a shell with: AerialRacers Aerial Racers Floppy Disk Install --------------------------------- Not in this release...... Does any one actually want to run from floppy???? @endnode @node "Reg" "Registration" Well I don't want much for this game just an e-mail or a postcard letting me know what you think of it. =) As I'm working and going to Uni full time I don't have as much time to spend on Aerial Racers as I would like, so instead of just having it sit on my hard disk until some distant day when I might make a few small dollars from it I've decided to give Aerial Racers it's freedom... So all you have to do to make both of us feel happy and contented is drop me a line. Include the country where you live, as I plan to include the name and country of everyone who 'registers' in the exit screen of Aerial Racers. Feel free to e-mail any tracks that you have designed and if _I_ like them I'll include them in future releases and/or make them available from my web site. If your feeling generous then why not see if I would like a registered version of something that you have coded, or you could redraw the background scenery (in the background drawer, just IFF files.), or you could.... =) Email: vroberts@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au WWW: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~vroberts Post: Vaughan Roberts c/o Insane Software 4 Shawlands Ave. Blackburn South, Victoria, 3130 Australia @endnode @node "Play" "Gameplay" How to play. ------------ As Aerial Racers is now freeware there will be no restrictions on its game play. However at the moment just the first three cars are included; the Camaro, the Monster Pickup, and the Monster Beetle. More vehicles will be include in future releases as I finish programming them in. * Important * ------------- When playing the game, you can only drive directly forward over cross-roads, therefore you cannot make left or right hand turns at the cross-roads. Also it doesn't matter how you complete laps.... forwards (the direction you start facing), or backwards, or shortest route. As long as you don't do a U-turn on the track. Game Menus. ----------- There are a quite a few of them so.... just have a play around. As some combinations of options are illegal (particually in the race options menu), altering one option may change another option automatically. This should be fairly obvious and sensible.... I hope. =) In Game. -------- Joystick controls: Left - rotate car anti-clockwise. Right - rotate car clockwise. Up - Nothing. Down - Brake. Fire - Accelerate. Keyboard controls (Right): Left arrow - rotate car anti-clockwise. Right arrow - rotate car clockwise. Right Amiga - Brake. Right alt - Accelerate. Keyboard controls (Left): Z - rotate car anti-clockwise. X - rotate car clockwise. Left alt - Brake. Left Amiga - Accelerate. CD 32 Game Pads: I've just added these and as I don't own these controls I'd like to hear from you to see if they actually work... The red button is the accelerator, should I change this????? Esc: Kill current race, and return to menu. P: Pauses the game, press P to resume. @endnode @node "Editor" "The Aerial Racers track editor" At the moment the T-intersection tiles are unavailable, this isn't intended for any shareware crippling or such. At this time the computer opponents aren't smart enough to find their own way around all tracks and so it's possible to design tracks that the computer cars cannot finish. Therefore the T-intersections have be removed until the computer AI has been correctly implimented.... Stay tuned!!! Track Editor. ------------- You can now save and play your own tracks, and include your name so other people know who designed the best tracks.... See the Registration section for more details. Well I haven't got time to write instuctions yet... So work it out for yourself! =) * Important * ------------- When saving your track make sure you prefix the track name with "5.", "6." or "7." depending on the track size, otherwise the game will not reconize the track correctly. Note: use the right mouse button on the track grid to select a tile to edit an existing piece, and the left mouse button to replace it entirely. @endnode @node "Plans" "What's in store..." What will hopefully be included in the next release: - Computer cars that won't get stuck. - Depth sorting of cars. - Best of 3, best of 5, and championship competitions. - Better and more varied car performace. - Including the track editor into the game. - Saving of game preferences. - Animated odometer display at bottom of screen. Ideas for the future: - Computer opponents that can actually give a good race. - Computer AI for path finding (will allow T-intersections in tracks) - More cars. (of course...) - Better gfx and sound. - More track pieces. (bottle-necks for instance) - Possibly null-modem link, hires displays.... - Damage to cars, oil slicks, mines.... - May re-introduce power-ups etc. - give me ideas! Other games in the pipeline! * Screech Demo (Great overhead racing game) If you haven't checked it out, it's on Aminet, get it now... @endnode @node "Credits" "Insane Info" Not to many at the moment........ here's a chance to add your name! To whom ever composed the tracker mod: Baap that I found on the Aminet. Just using this mod until I get one written for Aerial Racers. Brad Leffler for the Insane logo and the menu font. Aerial Racers was developed with: Blitz Basic 2 v2.10 Personal Paint v4.0 Imagine v3.0 ImageFX v1.52 Where to Contact Us:- --------------------- Mail us at: Snail: Vaughan Roberts, 4 Shawlands Ave. Blackburn South, Victoria, 3130 Australia Phone: (03) 9543 6814 Email: vroberts@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au or - Snail: Andrew Heap, 79 South Crescent Northcote, 3070 Australia Phone: (03) 9486 3614 Email: heap@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au screech@ozramp.net.au or - Snail: Brad Leffler P.O. Box 1948 Williamsburg,Va 23187 USA Phone: (804) 566 0521 Email: vortex@widomaker.com @endnode @node "history" "History of Aerial Racers" Well..... Aerial Racers v0.99 18/03/97 *** Now freeware!!! *** Game: - Removed a major ECS bug that stoped the game running on some Amigas. - Fully rewrote the computer AI, much improved. - Rewrote the collision subroutines. - Added car skid marks, ala Acid Software's Skidmarks. - Added the Monster Beetle to the game. - Now displays the track's authors name at track selection. - Caching of previous track and cars if enough Fast memory is available. - Error reporting, ie. Out of memory, or file not found. No more Guru's??? - Now always registers completed laps. - Lots of other little adjustments. Editor: - You can now save your own tracks!!!! - Include author's name with each track. - Removed T-intersections, for now. See Track Editor documentation. WWW: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~vroberts - Updated web page, included on-line bug reporting. Aerial Racers v0.98 19/11/96 Game: - Totally revamped the fontend menus, should now make sense. =) - Can now have 4 cars racing simultaneously. - Up to 3 human competitors. - 1, 2, or 3 way split screen. - Added keyboard and joypad (hopefully) controls. - Can now be installed to floppy disk. - Altered the game speed and gravity marginally, for playability. - Removed arcade mode, may make a return in the future. - Revamped the car performace code. - Fixed the sound routines. Track Editor: - Nothing. Aerial Racers v0.92 31/07/96 Game: - Increased the track width by 33% - Only three different map sizes however: 5x5, 6x6 and 7x7. - Fixed error in the map file format. - Slowed down car turning speed. Track Editor: - Revamped the track editor display. - Added changes to handle new track format. - Added a quick update function - speeding up track design. Aerial Racers v0.90 04/07/96 - First Aminet release. @endnode