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Amiga Format CD 30
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Amiga Format AFCD30 (Sep 1998, Issue 114).iso
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-screenplay-
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plasma
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1998-06-18
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QUICK START: Press escape to quit this text viewer and load the game.
Select "play the game" from the menu, press return to select the default
password (TUTORIAL), and then use joystick or cursors to play.
TEXT VIEWER: Use cursors or gadgets at base of screen to scroll.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Plasma Bubble by Francis Irving
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Plasma: A hot ionized material consisting of nuclei and electrons. It
is sometimes regarded as the fourth state of matter and is the
material present in the sun, most stars and fusion reactors.
Bubble: A dome, esp. a transparent glass or plastic one.
Plasma Bubble: A state-of-the-art transportation device where a red-hot
charged gas provides both protection from the outside world, and at the
same time supplies power through fusion reactions. The gas is kept in
place by complex magnetic fields, which are highly unstable when they
come into contact with metal. Any iron-based objects that land on it
with sufficient force will devastate the balance, and cause an
uncontrollable explosion. If the contact is more gentle then the discs
will just roll off.
The plasma can absorb earth-like filings and other detritus with no
harm, and is capable of pushing objects in all directions, since the
operator adjusts the magnetic fields to allow for this.
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The (somewhat dubious) story is that you've been given one of these
machines and told to collect lots of glorious treasures (big
diamonds, actually) over numerous locations. For some reason the
survival of life as we know it is at stake unless you do this. Or
you've been imprisoned by an evil alien. Or you're just after the
money. Whatever, use your imagination.
Anyway, all these treasures are trapped between two layers of glass.
Most of the diamonds are stuck to the glass, whereas others can fall.
You must, however, beware of the bizarre gravitaional fields, that
can cause objects to roll off each other in mid air, with a curious
preferance of going left. There are many other things scattered
around you, that can fall, get pushed, move and generaly be
manipulated in various ways. It's up to you to work out what they do
- from the mysterious orange squares, the bubbles of plasma, the
plants (who put them here? what are they for?), the various types of
wall, the occult dolls that look identicle to you and the strange
alien mines...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
When you start up, you will get a simple menu. Use the mouse,
jostick, or cursors and return to select the option you want.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Play the Game
You will be asked to enter a password. There will be a default
password written below, to play that level simply press return.
Levels are arranged in streams, and below you will find a list of all
the passwords of the first level in each stream in the game. When you
complete a level, you will get the password for the next level, and
so on until you complete the stream.
After a short screen to tell you about the level, the game screen
proper will appear. You're the bloke in the middle, the one inside
the bubble of plasma. Use the joystick or cursors keys to move him
about. If you want to see a map (which may be non-existant, or
progessive (showing only where you've been)) then press the joystick
fire button, click the left mouse or prod Help, M, or Return. During
map mode, press P for a printout. You'll need the correct printer
drivers set up on your boot disk for this to work (an Epson printer
driver is installed on the game disk).
Pressing P or Space will pause the game. If you hold down the right
mouse button, you can drag the diamonds remaining count about the
screen to suit your own preferance. Float round and get all the
diamonds, when this counter reaches zero you will have done the
level.
If you give up, or get trapped, prod escape. If you do this or die,
then a menu will appear giving you the option of trying again or
giving up.
Remember, your main aim is to get diamonds. It's easy (trust me, it
really is). If you can't do it, try again. Then think. Then think
some more. If this doesn't work, then (as Paul Shirley said) think
devious. Do something strange. Work out exactly how everything
behaves. Look carefully at the map. Think lateraly. Get someone else
to help you, two minds are better than one. Print out the map, and
annotate it. Think of a new way of thinking, and think that.
Persevere. If all else fails, then think again!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Number
Stream Name First Level Notes of
Password Levels
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tutorial TUTORIAL Really easy puzzles to get you going. 28
Starters TRAINING Full levels, still quite easy. 10
Sensible SENSIBLE Reasonable fun and interesting levels. 21
Expensive ROCKHARD Clear your schedule for a few weeks... 29
Cheap AAAARGH! Throw your computer out of the window. 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 100 levels!
2. Edit a Level
A full level editor is included to make your own screens. To edit a
level you must know the password of that level, and the password of
the next level. Make sure you know the next password of any levels you
save after you've made them, or you won't be able to edit them again.
To make a new level, type it's name in when asked for the password.
The password is encrypted, and the resultant string used as the file
name on the disk for that level. You can only edit it if you know
it's passowrd. The default next password is "NONE".
The main level editing screen will appear. A map view is a the top
left. Note that some things look differant on the map, so you can
distinguish between falling and none falling diamonds, see invisible
walls and so forth. A bank of controls at the bottom left highlights
one item. Click on it to select it, then draw on the map to put them
down. Pressing the right mouse button selects another bank of icons.
You can toggle back and forth between the two. The large graphic of
the selected object, and it's name are printed towards the right hand
side of the screen.
The "you" graphics is your starting position, only one of these is
allowed. The teleports are lettered A thro' Z. Press the appropriate
key to select which one you want. Only two of each sort are allowed
on each level. Monsterports use the same set of letters as teleports -
if you have an A teleport then you can't have an A monsterport.
Pressing space will toggle between empty squares and the item you
were previously on.
Note that only walls (which are indestructible) can be put round the
outside of the level. This prevents anything entering or leaving.
In the bottom right hand corner are a set of string gadgets. To alter
them, click in the box round the text, and a cursor will appear. Use
the keyboard to edit the string, and press return when you've done.
This: The name and password of this level. If you change it then the
"File:" name above will also alter. This is the string used to save
any level with that name on disk. For example a level called LEVEL is
saved with the file name "cRY>;.PLASMA". It is impossible (at least
as far as I can see - if you find a way, then tell me) to convert
file names into editor passwords.
Next: The next password. This is printed when the level is completed,
and should be the name of the next level in the level stream.
Remember, you can only edit a level if you know it's next password,
so don't forget what it is.
Diamonds: The number of diamonds that they have to get. You can set
this to zero, then play the level. The diamond count will then count
upwards each time you get one, so you can see how many diamonds you
need to get to complete the level, then you can set the diamond count
to the correct value. Alternatively, enter the text "MAX" into this
gadget, and the computer will count the total number of diamonds on
the level, and set the number required to that.
Down the right hand side of the screen, there is a bank of eleven
gadgets. All of them except "Load" "Flip Y" and "Specials" can be
selected by pressing a function key. It's usually easier just to
click on them.
Map On/Off/Half (F1): Select what sort of map the player gets.
Test (F2): Play the level. You can also do this by pressing return, or
the joystick fire button. When you die or press escape, you will be
returned to the editor.
Save (F3): Save the level, using the filename and password you put in
the string gadgets below. Any previous level of this name will be saved over.
Load: Load a new level to edit. After confirming this, you'll be asked
for the password of the new level. The default has been changed to the
next level of the level you were just editing, making it fairly easy to
look through all the levels in a stream. You will, of course, need to
know the next password of the level you've just loaded.
Clear (F4): Wipe the level completely (but not off disk).
Max Diam. (F5): Counts the number of diamonds on the level, just as when
you type MAX into the diamond counter box.
Delete (F6): Erase the level from the disk.
Grav Down/Up/Off (F7): Clicking on this cycles through the type of
gravity to use for this level.
X Flip Y (F8): If you've "Get Area"d an area, you can reflect it
horizontaly and verticaly, by clicking on the X or Y boxes.
Exit (F9): Finish editing a level. Make sure you've saved it, and that
you know the next password.
Specials: This gives you a menu of special options, which are thus:
a. Alter Author's Name: Your chance for glory.
b. Change Level Directory: Same as in the options menu, which
is detailed below.
c. Splurge! Level: Splurg!ing (note the exclamation mark, it
is an intrinsic part of the word, and should never be left
out even when endings are added) is a new technique which
can be applied to all media. Basicaly, you feed something
into a program, and it uses information from that to create
semi-random output of a similar nature. The original splurge!
program dealt with text, and based it's output on which words
can follow which in the input (send me a disk if you want a
copy). In Plasma Bubble, this option will completely erase your
level, and replace it with a splurg!ed one, based on your level.
This can take some time to do, so be patient. The levels thus
created are by no means guaranteed possible. It can be helpfull
to play them to get interesting ideas, or just for the surprise
& novelty. The level you have loaded before splurg!ing does
affect the output a lot, so try differant levels.
Draw / Box/Line / Fill / Get Area / Put Area (F10): Cycle through
this, and it will alter your drawing mode. They behave thus...
Draw: The standard, allowing you to paste single objects.
Box/Line: Click in two places on the map, and a rectangle of the
selected object is filled between them.
Fill: A flood fill using the selected object.
Get Area: Select this and click on two squares on the map, and
that area will be stored.
Put Area: You must have first "Get Area"d an area. This will paste
it onto the map. You can first X or Y Flip the area using
a gadget above. The area is kept until you get a new one,
so you can copy bits between levels.
The screen will flash white if any errors occur, for example during
disk access, or if you try to flip an Area when you haven't "Get Area"d
one.
If you make any levels (wether easy or hard, as long as they're
possible), then I'd like you to send them to me. Put them on a blank
disk, containing nothing else (none my own levels please, it's too
confusing), along with all the passwords for them (please, give me them
all). I'll integrate these into the next version of Plasma Bubble,
credit you in the documentation, and leave your author's name on your
levels. Then I'll copy Plasma Bubble back onto your disk (with your
levels, and any other new ones, plus new features), and return it to you
in the stamped adressed envelope that you also cunningly sent me. I
can't return anything without an S.A.E., it would be too costly.
Points to note when doing this:
1. You get the kudos and fame, and lots more puzzles. It's well worth
the cost of two stamps (if unpackaged, disks can weigh only 20g).
2. I may disappear for vast tracts of time to University. You may not
get your disk back for a while, until the holidays. Be patient, and
remember that this delay will mean you get more levels in return, from
all the other people that send me disks.
3. Please, don't give me impossible levels. If you do, then I'll give
you impossbile levels, and see how you like it.
4. Use invisible walls sparingly. They are most useful to add aesthetic
appeal to the outside of levels - effectively making the outer wall no
longer square.
5. Try and make levels fun, or hard, but not cheap. The CHEAP level
stream contains lots of cheap levels (they are relatively easy to
make), and you can see how annoying they are. Any particularly cheap
cheap levels are, of course, welcomed. Or if they're cheap in some new
and cunning way. Then again, I could make a whole level stream out of
the cheapest of cheapness, the invisible wall maze...
6. Cheap things include: Falling diamonds if only some fall, invisible
walls, pushable walls that are hard to find (or impossible to push),
single teleports.
7. "Expensive" things are many and numerous, these are the meat of
Plasma Bubble, and require cunning and thought. Or luck.
My address is down at the bottom of this file somewhere.
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3. Options Menu.
a. Centre the Display
Use mouse to make frame and hence screen nestle snuggly in place.
b. Change level directory.
Type in the path of the place you want to save levels to. This is used
throughout the rest of the game. It is best to use a directory, or you
will find your disk splattered with files having bizarre names.
c. Quit the Game.
I still haven't worked out what this one does.
d. Save Options.
This writes a file called DEFAULT.LVL to the disk. It contains
information on the default password, where the display is centred to,
where abouts on the screen you keep your diamond count (a matter of
much contention), and the level directory. When Plasma Bubble loads up,
it looks for this file in the current directory or the directory
PlasmaBubble:. This will give it the level directory, so it can find
all the levels.
e. Return to Main Menu.
Self explanatory.
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Trouble shooting
When the game first loads up, it looks for the files PlasmaGraphics and
PlasmaSounds in the current directory, if they're not there then it
tries the directory PlasmaBubble:. If it can't find the graphics file,
then you can't play the game. The other file isn't essential, but
without it there are no sound effects. If you are lacking in chip
memory, or just memory in general, then there may not be space to load
the sounds in. You may still play the game, the atmosphere
satisfactorily ruined. It is (I think) impossible to load the sound
effect on a 512k machine, but one megabyte should be plenty.
On old Amigas (wether chipset or OS I'm not sure) the diamond counter
can behave oddly, this is because sprites don't work when a screen is
above the top left corner of other screens. When centring the display,
try keeping it as far to the right and down as possible. You might want
to use preferances to centre the display up and left a bit, that should
work.
Teleporting doesn't look right on Kickstart 2.0 machines since the
display takes longer to refresh (probably due to new features such as
dragging screens sideways). It looks good on 1.3 machines though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Credits:
Raymond Irving for the luscious graphics, they built up the whole
character of the game. I asked him to draw some pictures for a scrolling
puzzle game, and this is what he came up with. I mean, metallic drystone
walls? A deranged mind.
Andrew Brewood for lots of helpfull ideas of both objects to include, and
of bugs to remove. He's also the chief level designer, so for many hours of
torture you have him to thank.
Iona: For inventing the plants.
Sumika: For testing the tutorial levels, when she didn't really want to.
Whoever invented Boulderdash: Without whom this would not have been
possible.
Level Designers: Francis Irving, Andrew Brewood, Alan Brewood, Robert
West.
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The above file was dated 27th September 1992, and included out of date
contact information.
If you have any comments about the game, then feel free to email me,
francis@pobox.co.uk. You might also like to look at my web page
http://www.meta.demon.co.uk.
Francis Irving
4th May 1998
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