旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � BIPROLEX+ (tm) � � Dynamic Battle-Field For Your Brains � � All Rights Reserved � � (C)1994-97 by K-D LAB � 旼컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴� � PLAYER'S MANUAL � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� CONTENTS 0. Prerequisites of Creation. 1. The Main Ideas and Principles. 2. Technical Characteristics. 2.1. System Requirements. 2.2. Technical Specifications. 2.3. Configuring. 3. Detailed Description of the Game. 3.1. "Creatures". 3.2. "Prizes". 3.3. "Bonuses". 3.4. Information Panel Structure. 3.5. Scoring. 3.6. Speech Messages. 3.7. Additional Information. 0. Prerequisites of Creation. If you feel slightly fed up with multimegabyte games like RPG/Adventure/Action, which are as a rule complicated sets of slides, rolls and speech patterns with the minimum of programming; if you are not satisfied with pitiful attempts to reflect the multidimensional world of real objects with the help of flat pictures and primitive interactions of the objects, given for fascinating adventures, but in fact offering you only a passive way of observing a clumsy realization of the ready-made plot; if you wish to achieve something more than just using SPACEBAR button and shooting at every object moving on the screen (the games that leaves no space for more intellectual actions); if you regret about the time spent on dull, not dynamic and not thought-provoking strategies, than you might like this game. A new trend of the computer games development, deserving attention to our opinion, appears in the field of dynamic multiparametral abstractions, in which our brain not, very much burdened with real prototypes, can get satisfaction from solving "pure" tasks. We call this type of games "The Clever Medium" and would like to present to your verdict one of such developments named "BIPROLEX+" and worked out by our computer games development company "K-D Lab". While creating this game first of all we took pains to make it interesting for ourselves - the feature that many games lack due to the fact that their creators have been much more concerned with a nice label and the volume of trade of their monstrous creation. What we say here does not mean we are against a colourful design, neither we are ascetic supporters of a monochrome text mode and we did our best to present BIPROLEX+ in graphics and sound. But the main concern still was to create the game to be used for fun for a long time, rather than to be discarded after a few hours of amusement. Despite a sophisticated strategy and skills requirements as well as knowledge requirements of many tricky things and parametres - in other words all these habits that the player acquires in due course of time - this game nevertheless does not offer a dull preparatory introduction to the rules and documentation as soon the basis of it has been constituted with the help of classical principles of such "hits" as Tetris and Arcanoid (here Tetlix and Arcalex), expanded in many ways, altered and "wrapped" in a splendid sprite realization. Biprolex+ brought us many exciting hours of unexpected combinations of events as well as victories over the rival by means of speed thinking and complexity of the rounds. 1. The Main Ideas and Principles. The given chapter presents a short description of the game and all initial information necessary for its user. For a more detailed information see the chapters below. Technical requirements: processor i386+ with 2Mb RAM for mute mode (4Mb for sound mode) and a ordinary VGA. For a sound background (music, sound effects, speech) a sound card is recommended. The use of mouse is also preferable (3 buttons are strongly recommended). The game is subdivided into two parts: auxiliary interface part is responsible for organization of the game process, main part - for arcade automaton. The game is provided with a main menu built up on the common well-known principles. The only important thing here is to have a clear idea of the key notions and the functional options of the menu: PLAYER - a subject of the game representing the player in Biprolex's environment and requiring score tables and some name, which the user should choose during the game. To ensure the player's results there is a system of passwords for each player. COMPETITION - a form of relationship between players. When creating a new competition the player indicates its name, the number of levels and the type of opposition: Arcalex-Tetlix - player 1 plays for Arcalex, player 2 - for Tetlix. Tetlix-Arcalex - vice-versa Flip-Flop - each level can be played twice: stage 1 - player 1 plays in the upper part of the screen, player 2 - in the lower part of the screen; stage 2 - players swap. This type is the most convenient one for a successful game. Each competition has its own score table (option HALL OF FAME for viewing). GAME - a means of conducting a direct competition, which preserves the current state of the current competition. The game gives an opportunity for players to play a certain competition chain of levels indicated by players. Intermediate results are automatically saved and can be retrieved with the help of option LOAD GAME. When choosing any option of the main menu, the right part of the screen shows a status of active game, which can be started from the beginning or continued with the help of option PLAY. Here are some minor actions the player should do in order to start the game: 0) to configurate the game correctly, having entered SETUP.BAT (see point 2.3); 1) to choose option EDIT PLAYERS and to register at least one player for gaming against computer or two players for human mode. In order to do this the player should choose any slot in the right corner menu, press ENTER and when tested for player's identification - to print ENTER for empty slot or to print old password for busy slot. In order to cheat the competitor peeping at the screen from behind the player's back, the player enters a visual false password :). The player should indicate his/her password. When the right password is given, the message "NEW PASSWORD ACCEPTED" appears on the screen. 2) to choose option EDIT COMPETITION and to create at least one competition. For all options like EDIT when choosing the slot, ENTER allows to edit the name of the corresponding object, SPACEBAR activates the chosen point, i.e. allows to indicate attributes, ESC allows to cancel all alterations. When giving the number of levels and types of competitions, arrow buttons are used. 3) to choose option EDIT GAME and to form the game, having indicated the necessary information (in case of single player game against computer it is necessary to choose computer robot in end of menu as a second player). 4) to choose option PLAY, to identify the players, having printed corresponding passwords and to set the game score percentage with the help of arrows (see point 3.5). The game screen consists of two parts: the left information panel, presents different information about the competition and the competitors parametres; the right panel depicts the battle itself. Each level is characterized by some initial configuration consisting of glitching "stones" and multicoloured blocks of different power. This configuration dictates tactics necessary for the game. The main task of players is to _collect_valuable_"stones"_. Depending on the type of competition of the current game players take sides of one of the competing objects: either Tetlix or Arcalex. Arcalex/Tetlix's short description: 旼컴컴컴커 � TETLIX � 읕컴컴컴켸 is presented by an object, which can move left-right in the upper part of the game field. Its main function is to generate 4-blocked figures, which fall down and fill the main configuration. The player controls the fall of figures and uses the main device called "shift down", which is available when horizontal solid lines appear in a configuration. Tetlix's success depends much on the effectiveness of these "shifts down" as soon, firstly, - the blocks fall is dangerous for Arcalex and makes Tetlix's tasks easier, secondly, - "shift down" is the most effective means of collecting "stones" since all "stones" contained in horizontal solid lines created by Tetlix belong to Tetlix. Isolated from one another during their fall, figures actively interact with so-called "creatures", which can move freely across the whole unoccupied by the another objects space. These objects are very important in the game process functionally. The interaction depends on the type of the "creature" and can be of 3 kinds: 1. Collision of a figure with a "bomber". It allows to fill the next figure with bombs - firelike blocks destroying everything on their way - ("bombs" is another important means of collecting "stones" and saving them in Tetlix's storage . It's also a powerful instrument of struggling for the right of "shift down" and damaging the competitor). 2. Collision with a "creature". This interaction makes it possible to stick the falling figure to a special block, called "bonus", which, while activating, does some useful/harmful actions. There are some dozens of "bonuses" in Biprolex+ , that's why it's difficult to remember all their functions at the first moment, though learning them by heart is not a must. For the beginning it's enough to bear in mind the fact that the blue colour (this concerns both "bonuses" and "creatures") helps Tetlix or does harm Arcalex; the yellow colour has the opposite function; intermediate colours - skyblue and salad - sympathize with Tetlix/Arcalex respectively. Besides, during activation of a "bonus" information panel sends the message stating this action; the most significant "bonuses" are accompanied by speech signals, explaining their roles. Tetlix can activate "bonuses" in two ways: 1) during the "shifting down" all bonuses close to a figure, which causes a "shift down", get activated and belong to this figure; 2) "bombs" can be "strong" and "weak" (visually distinguishable); "strong bombs" activate a "bonus" the moment they shoot it; "weak bombs" destroy a "bonus". 3. Collision allows to take a block away from a falling figure, which bumps into a "creature" (or vice-versa with "bonuses"). The player can control Tetlix with the help of the keyboard: - to move a figure one step to the left - to move a figure one step to the right - to rotate a figure - rapid descend of a figure - "weak/strong" bomb toggle - to switch on/off Tetlix's protective shield (it protects Tetlix from elimination by an object, though this protective energy is not constant - its consumption is shown on the information panel). 旼컴컴컴컴� � ARCALEX � 읕컴컴컴컴� is presented by the object which can move left-right in the lower part of the screen. Its main function is to ward off an amorphous flying "ball", so that not to let it leave the game field. Each missed "ball" leads to immediate "shift down", makes Arcalex's situation complicated. The number of "balls" is limited. Arcalex itself consists of three parts: the central "engine", elimination of which destroys the whole body of Arcalex, and the two spherical "guns" placed on the left and right of the "engine", which can disappear, get restored, stick to some objects and shoot with "bullets". A "ball" can be of four different states: - simple state (when collision, it deprives a block of a level of power); - strong state (it breaks a block immediately); - super state (breaks through the whole configuration); - hidden state (is analogous to that of a simple state; it's difficult to trace its flight due to a "ball's phantom state). The "ball's" state is controlled by corresponding "bonuses". "Bullets" are also subdivided into two types, which can be switched: "strong" bullets (the ones which break blocks immediately and activate "bonuses"); "weak" bullets (the ones which deprive blocks of one level of power and destroy "bonuses"). "Strong" bullets are wasted _four_ times quicker than "weak" ones. Arcalex can collect "stones" only by means of breaking them with a "ball". "Balls" and "bullets" actively interact with "creatures" - depending on their type: it can be either an alteration of the flight or "creature"'s materialization into a block, or appearance of another type of objects, which fall out of a destroyed "creature" - so called "prizes" presented by uncontrollably falling objects. These objects can be either caught and activated or missed by Arcalex - depending on degree of their harm; Arcalex also can "shift up" configuration after having broken 20 blocks with a "ball". Arcalex can be controlled with the help of a keyboard, analog joystick and a mouse (the latter is preferable). Mouse control is as follows: - Arcalex moves; - "guns" are turned to the left; - "guns" are turned to the right; - one shot; - "bullets" toggle (indicated by the colour of the liquid in the jar filled with bullets); - Arcalex moves; - "guns" turning;