@database DC_Manual.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 V0.9" @{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. After a nice animation the following main menu comes up: @{" START GAME " link START} @{" Load new levels " link LEVELS} @{" Mix levels: Off " link MIXED} @{"View hiscore table" link HISCORE} @{" Quit game to DOS " link QUIT} Now some other stuff about the game and so on... @{"-=> 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. Thanx. By the way: This is version 0.9, so there may some error left in the game you are about to find out. Thanx again. @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. 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 ? @endnode @node LEVELS "Main Menu: Levels" Here you can load @{"your created levels" link LEVEL_SET}. A file-requester appears and asks you to select a level-file. If it has to correct format, it will be loaded into memory (with the hiscore) and you can play it. Otherwise you play the last loaded levels, these are the default levels at the beginning of the game. @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 | +-------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 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 *) collision with baddies 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 appear the exit. Sometimes you can collect more diamonds. Then a 'B' will be added and shows the amount of collected bonus diamonds. From level 7 on (in 'Mix Off' mode) baddies appear and makes 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: *) P ....... pause game *) ESC ..... quit game to main menu *) DEL ..... give up 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. - Use a 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. @{b}NOTE:@{ub} Disable the 'write protection' when playing from floppy. Otherwise the game won't save new hiscores! @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 normal | here you can move anywhere 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 empty field | you need a pick to walk over it, else you get killed | (somethimes baddies can change it to normal field) @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 *) each left second ................................ 20 *) each left key, pick or bomb ..................... 50 *) each bonus diamond .............................. 250 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 LEVEL_SET "Create your own levels" YES ! You can create your own level sets. But you need my editor. If you want to get the editor please read the section how you can @{"register" link REGISTER} for it. Thank you. ||||| .-O~O-. l \\___/ @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. *) Mem: 1 MB chip, 512K fast. Better is 1 MB fast. *) 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" I'm not familiar with copyright laws in the US, or anywhere. I hope it's not really a problem. But what I'm worried about. The game is freeware. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE OF ANY DAMMAGE DONE TO YOUR SYSTEM. IF YOU WANT TO USE ANYTHING OF THIS GAME FOR YOUR CREATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT @{"ME" link INFOS} AND TELL ME ABOUT IT. I AM HAPPY IF YOU WILL 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 just create "s/startup-sequence" as: DiamChallV0_9 If you wish to start the game from WB add "c/endcli", "c/loadwb" and create "s/startup-sequence" as: loadwb endcli That's it. Contanct @{"me" link INFOS}, if you have problems. @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 ? You can use @{"my editor" link REGISTER}, if you want to. But the editor is shareware. The game is freeware. WHAT'S THAT ??? No, joke. Some people only want to play, and some artists also create new levels. So why should the players pay something, if there exists many other platform collecting games ? Sure, I could say the editor is giftware, but if you are realistic: who would send me some presents for this game ? You can decide now: *) Try another platform game with a free editor included or *) Support me, support the AMIGA, and @{"register for the editor" link REGISTER}. @endnode @node REGISTER "A great game, isn't it ???" There is no limit in playing the game. You can also use other level sets from your friends, Aminet,... But you can't create new levels. You can "buy" the editor from me for a small amount of cash. So if you want to register your copy do the following: 1.) Write down your name, COMPLETE address, e-mail. Or use @{"my form" link REG_FORM}. (add the configuation of your AMIGA if you want) 2.) Put it together with 100 ATS, 15 DM, 10 US-dollar (or 10 EURO) into an empty envelope. 3.) Send it to @{"me" link INFOS} (click here for my address) Add an empty disc and a reply-paid envelope, if you have no e-mail address. So that I only have to copy the editor and return it to you as fast as possible. When I get your money, I will do the following: 4.) Send you the editor via e-mail (uuencoded) or copy the editor on your disc and return it to you by mail. 5.) I'm very happy that you support me. The editor is shareware and I beg you not to copy it to your friends. If I do a re-upload to AmiNet, I will inform you only via e-mail. 6.) Finally I hope you enjoy my game and look foreward for more on AmiNet. Or contact @{"me" link INFOS} via e-mail. Any questions ? Then contact @{"me" link INFOS}. NOTE: If you want to get the editor via e-mail, be sure that you are able to recieve large attachments. (~130K binary, as LHA ~68K and finally uu-encoded only ~95K !!??) Else you may add an empty disc as described in part 3) and I will copy the binary data on it. @endnode @node REG_FORM "Fill this for register" You decided to register for the editor ? GREAT !!! Then print this page or take a sheet of paper and fill in this (european ?) form: ×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--× | | | | × FIRST NAME: ________________________ × | | | LAST NAME: ________________________ | × × | STREET: ________________________________________ | | | × POSTCODE: _____ CITY: __________________________ × | | | COUNTRY,STATE: _____________________________________ | × × | E-MAIL: ____________________________________________ | | | × × | *---------------------------------------------* | | | My System Configuration: (optional) | | × | | × | | Amiga: ______ Processor: ____________ | | | | | | × | Chip Ram: ____ MB Fast Ram: ______ MB | × | | | | | | Workbench: ______ Hard Disc: ______ MB | | × | | × | *---------------------------------------------* | | | ×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--×--× @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 @{"register" link REGISTER} for the editor or have found some really tricky errors: @{b} KARGL CHRISTIAN WIENERSTRASSE 58 A-8605 KAPFENBERG AUSTRIA - STYRIA email: karglch@sbox.tu-graz.ac.at (not forever !!!) @{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 playing screen. Anybody contact me via e-mail if you have/know some music. @{fg text} History: 2. 9.99: - finished V0.9; testing for release to AmiNet ~~~~~~~~ 4.11.99: - finally first release to AmiNet Bugs: *) If the display flickers stop other programms. If that doesn't ~~~~~ help, start the game from floppy. If that doesn't help either, sent me an e-mail with your system configuration. Your amiga seems to be too slow, sorry. :-( *) If you load the game directly from floppy and the AmigaDOS window never appear, the mouse pointer will not appear if you want to load new levels. The system didn't initialize the mouse image, or something like this. So the game has no mouse to use. Insert something like "cls" or "echo Loading..." in the top of the startup-sequence to make the AmigaDOS window and the mouse pointer appear. This never happens if you load the game from WB. @endnode