NOTE: The original version of Gamma Zee had the editor disabled until you payed me money. That's changed since no one payed me. Now I am releasing to everyone the version with a working editor. So please if you get this program send anywhere between 1｢ and 1$ to me. If I get that from enough people I should be able to buy a centris and then I can make some better programs for the people who payed.
Gamma Zee is an addictive color game, designed to keep you playing for hours on end. With no limit to the number of possible levels, Gamma Zee can be fun for years.
Why Does Gamma Zee have a small window?
Gamma Zee uses a small window for two reasons:
1. It makes it so that you can't see the whole maze at the same time, making traps possible.
2. It allows you to use it as a DA (in system 7.x) so that you can still see all your other programs when its open.
Memory Requirements:
Gamma Zee requires 1.5 meg (default setting) to run with all the frills (sounds, full screen graphics, etc). However, it can be run at as low as 512K. If you run it in 512K, turn the sound off or else the pictures won't be able to load and the winning and losing pictures will be entirely white.
Speed:
Gamma Zee is designed to be fun on any color computer, for any person. This means it's got to be able to change its speed according to your needs. A dialog appears when you start up asking your difficulty level. This adjusts the speed of spikes, trains and Little Green Dudes to keep the game somewhat challenging. It first tests your computer's speed and then lets you choose how much faster or slower to go. However, Quadra users may not want the speed that it will go on a Quadra. They should use the Beginner mode, because it does not change with your computer's speed.
Sounds:
Sounds can be toggled on and off during the game by pressing "S". This will only work when you are actually playing, not in the about box, startup screen, editor etc.
The music (composed by me, Dwight Rodgers) is in a seperate file called ﾒMusicﾓ. If you don't want the music to play, but do want the sounds, simply drag ﾒMusicﾓ out of the folder.
How To Play:
Objective:
You have to get that little face in the center of the screen (named ﾒIteﾓ) from where you start to any of the exits.
Navigation:
You can use the keyboard or number pad to move around (no diagonals). Gamma Zee's navigation keys are:
I 8
J L or 4 6
K 2
Obstacles: (see on-line help system)
Play Mode:
Click PLAY in the opening dialog and you will get to this mode. This is the standard playing mode, you go through each level consecutively and when you lose all your lives or win all the levels, you have a chance of getting in the high scores.
Practice Mode:
This is designed to allow you to create and test levels, as well as practice difficult ones that other people make. It allows you to jump to any level whenever you want, as well as letting you enter the editor. When you win however, you start on the same level again and it is impossible to get into the high scores this way.
Levels:
You can use the level menu to skip to whatever level you choose to play. You can also load new level files that you or other people make.
The Editor:
When you hit Go To Editor, you will be very confused that no new window has popped up with random information. This is because being bogged down with random information can be annoying, instead you use the exact same familiar macintosh environment to edit your levels. You will notice that the same keys still move you around, only the game doesn't pay attention to what you run through (accept the edge walls of the map). You can use the keys to navigate while you use the mouse to edit. By clicking on a square you can select it and then you can type a key code to change the contents of that square
The codes consist of two parts, a group key and an optional type key. The group key will get you to a set of related types (like "t" for trains), then hold down the shift key and press a key on the top row of your keyboard, like shift-1 to get a track going right instead of left. Just typing the group key gets you to the first obstacle of the group.
Codes are listed in the Editor Reference, or in the online help. You can also (although it's a bit tedious) use the "[" and "]" keys to scroll up and down through the obstacles. The problem with using that though, is that there are over 70 types to scroll through, so it's not the most efficient technique.
The level menu still allows you to navigate, only now the "New" command also works, it allows you to create a new level and fills the whole level with empty spaces. (Not to be confused with New Level File, which creats a new SET of levels). The level menu also gives you some more power. By holding down option while going to a level in the level menu, you can rename it and change the information about it. Holding down option and command will delete the level you chose (don't worry it, WILL ask you if you're sure you want to delete it).
The quit option from the file menu now changes to "Go Back To Game". it will not quit the program entirely, this way you can move in the editor to wherever you want to start and then go to the game to test that area. Remember, that when you normally play the game you will start in the upper left corner (unless you specify otherwise).
To set your starting position, click on the little smiley face once you have positioned it where you want to start. It will give you no recognition that anything has changed but it probably worked. As a good habit, you ought to go to the starting position and click the smiley face each time you save (just in case you accidently hit the smiley face some other time)
Tips & Hints:
Playing tips:
1: LGDs (Little Green Dudes) look where they are going.
2: It is best to go around pushable walls whenever possible
3: Many levels have hidden secrets
4: It is possible to "jump" over LGDs, by walking on to them at
the exact same time that they walk on to you.
5: It is also sometime possible to "jump" over spikes when being
pushed by a train or wet square.
6: Unwalls (walls that LOOK like walls but are passable) are
holograms, and cast no shadow.
Editing tips:
1: If you jump to a level and then delete it using the cmd-opt level menu, the level will still be in memory and if you save it, it will automatically move to the end of the level list. That way you can re-order your levels.
2: If you have a level in memory and then load a different level file or create a new level file, the level will remain in memory and you can then save it into this other file, essentially like copying and pasteing.
If you have any questions, comments or would like to show me what cool levels you made, you can write to:
Happy Software
32 Turner Court
Princeton, NJ 08540.
or send E-mail to:
drodgers@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us
-Dwight Rodgers, President of Happy Software
P.S.
I'd love to have people send level files they made, if you include your name and address and I think the levels are cool, I'll include them in new versions (with your permission) and your name will appear in the About Box!!
I may also setup a contest for the best level file, with prizes of some sort as a reward.
