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PACKMAN.DOC
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Text File
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1986-04-18
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5KB
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94 lines
PACKMAN PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
===========================
SCREEN LAYOUT
-------------
The score appears at the upper left. The screen number is shown at the
far right. The remaining PACKMEN are also shown in the upper right.
The prompt area is in the center of the status area above the center
"tunnel" exit. The prompts indicate readiness to start/resume play,
display bonus points for capturing a monster or prize, etc.
CONTROLS
--------
The player controls PACKMAN's direction using either the four arrow
keys (make sure [NumLock] is not accidently pressed!) or, optionally,
via joystick. The player indicates his choice simply by pressing
either a cursor key or joystick "fire" button to start/resume play in
response to the READY! prompt. Thus, it is even possible to alternate
between keyboard and joystick(s) during the game. The joystick button
may also be used to respond affirmatively to the new game prompt.
Pressing [CTRL][END] during play causes the program to end immediately
and return to DOS.
Note: This program assumes the joysticks are wired such that resis-
tance values increase from left to right and top to bottom, following
the convention for screen pel coordinates.
SCORING
-------
Dots:....................10 points
Power Capsules:..........50 points
"Scared" Monsters:......200,400,800, or 1600 points
Prizes:
Screen 1:..........100 points (Cherries)
Screen 2:..........300 points (Strawberry)
Screen 3:..........500 points (Apple)
Screen 4:..........700 points (Grapes)
Screen 5:.........1000 points (Key)
Screen >=6:.......2000 points (Randomly chosen symbol)
A bonus PACKMAN is awarded at each 10,000 point plateau.
GAME DESCRIPTION
================
The objective is for PACKMAN to score as many points as possible by
devouring dots, prizes, power capsules, and "scared" monsters, while
avoiding fatal collisions with "mean" monsters. A screen ends when all
180 dots and four power capsules are cleared. The game ends when the
player loses his last PACKMAN.
As play starts/resumes, the four monsters emerge from their "pen" in
the center and begin searching for PACKMAN. At first, they move
randomly about the maze, checking out the corridors ahead and to the
sides. As soon as a monster sees PACKMAN, it begins to chase him.
PACKMAN may be spotted even if only partially visable in a corridor.
Chasing basically entails this: If PACKMAN is in sight, the monster
will head directly toward him. If PACKMAN then ducks out of sight, the
monster will remember where he was last seen and the direction he
turned, and will try to proceed to that point and turn the same way,
after which it reverts to its searching algorithm. The monsters also
forget the trail when exiting the tunnels or passing in front of the
pen exit.
The monsters normally do not look backwards or reverse their direc-
tions arbitrarily. Therefore, PACKMAN can follow a monster without
being seen. However, since the monsters cannot run over each other,
collisions between monsters may result in one or both suddenly
reversing their course, unexpectedly trapping PACKMAN if he is
careless.
When PACKMAN eats a power capsule, all monsters outside the pen turn
blue, slow to half-speed, and attempt to flee if they see PACKMAN. The
first monster PACKMAN catches is worth 200 points, doubling for each
subsequent monster. When a monster is captured, its disembodied eyes
make a beeline back to the pen, where it is reincarnated and re-
emerges. After a short time, the blue monsters flash white three times
and revert to their normal dangerous state.
The prize appears twice per screen, staying for a time for PACKMAN to
claim it, then disappearing. The first appearance is sometime after
one-third to two-thirds of the dots are cleared from the screen.
Each screen is progressively more difficult than the last. For the
first several screens, PACKMAN is considerably faster than the
monsters in open corridors, so he can usually out-run them unless he
gets himself trapped or is slowed by eating a long string of dots
(eating slows his speed by one-third). However, with each screen, the
monsters become faster relative to PACKMAN, and remain frightened for
shorter length of time. By the tenth screen, the power capsules cease
to have any effect at all. Also, the prizes appear for progressively
shorter intervals.