═══ 1. General Help for Daleks ═══ The following somewhat helpful help subjects are available: o Playing the Game o File Menu o Move Menu o Options Menu o Help for Keys o Acknowledgements ═══ 2. Help for the File menu ═══ New Game Selecting this option restarts the game, resetting the score and level to 0. Show High Scores Selecting this option brings up a list box showing the names and scores of the 10 highest scoring players. If the letter 'P' is next to a score, it means that the score was acheived in probabilistic mode. Quit Selecting this option ends the program immediately. ═══ 3. Help for the Move menu ═══ Teleport Teleporting moves you to a random empty location on the playing field. While you cannot teleport onto a Dalek or junk heap, if you land next to a Dalek, the Dalek will kill you in the next turn and the game will end. Teleporting next to a Dalek is the only way you can die. Sonic Screwdriver The Sonic Screwdriver emits a powerful blast of ultrasonic sound, destroying all Daleks in the adjoining squares. There is only one Sonic Screwdriver available per round, and no points are given for Daleks destroyed in this manner. Wait Selecting the wait move is equivalent to staying put every turn that it is an option, or until all Daleks are destroyed. The wait option will not allow you to be destroyed by the Daleks. There is no special benefit to this option, it is provided to simplify the game. ═══ 4. Help for the Options menu ═══ Grid When this option is checked, the grid overlaying the playing board is visible. When it is unchecked, it is invisible. Sound When this option is checked, the sound is turned on. Note: The following options can only be altered when a game is not currently being played. Probabilistic Daleks When this option is checked, the game is in probabilistic mode. Randomness Selecting this option allows the user to change the level of randomness in the movements of the Daleks when the game is in probabilistic mode. Changes in this setting will not take effect unless the Probabilistic Daleks option is checked. For more information on this control click on: Changing Randomness. ═══ 5. Help for Keys ═══ The following keys perform these functions: Movement Key Command Numeric Keypad Move in direction Enter Stay Put t Teleport s Sonic Screwdriver w Wait Program Control Key Command Alt+N New Game Alt+H Show High Scores Alt+Q Quit Game ═══ 6. Help for Randomness Adjust ═══ The slider bar allows you to adjust the level of randomness of the movements of the Daleks when they are in probabilistic mode. Moving the slider bar towards the random side causes the movements of the Daleks to be more chaotic, moving the slider bar towards the deterministic side causes their movements to be more direct. What is actually being adjusted is the standard deviation of the distribution of the direction of the Daleks' movement. The expected value of the direction is always towards the player. Minimum randomness is 0°, maximum randomness is 45°, the default randomness is 23°. See also: Help for the Options Menu. ═══ 7. Playing the Game ═══ Object The object of the game is to stay alive for as many moves as possible, while killing off as many Daleks as possible. Daleks can be killed by either causing them to run into each other or by causing them to run into junk heaps. A junk heap, which looks like this: , is formed when two or more Daleks run into each other. Movement Movement is only allowed in directions that will not be occupied by a Dalek in the next turn (i.e. you can't make a wrong move that will result in your death). Every turn you can move one square in any of the cardinal or semi-cardinal directions. The Daleks will then take one step toward you. Besides moving, you also have three other options: staying put, teleporting, or using the Sonic Screwdriver. For more information on teleporting or using the Sonic Screwdriver, click on: movement options. For more information on movement keys, click on movement keys. Scoring One point is given for every Dalek destroyed. At the end of every level, two points are given for every junk heap. End of the Game The game ends when you teleport next to a Dalek and it kills you in the next round. ═══ 8. Acknowlegements ═══ I would like to thank whoever created the original Daleks game. This game is a copy of a the one I used to play on the Mac, but I've also seen it on X-Window systems under the name XRobots, and under DOS as Octon Challenge. Of course Dr. Who and the Daleks are originally from the BBS TV show (I presume). At any rate the code is originally mine and the bitmaps were drawn by Sierra Swearingen. This program was compiled with the EMX 0.8f port (by Eberhard Mattes) GNU C++ compiler (gpp). The dll files are part of this package. I'd also like to thank my mom. ═══ ═══ In Probabilistic Mode the Daleks don't always move toward you, they merely are most likely to move toward you. Their movements are probabilistic instead of determininstic. The game is in probabilistic mode when the Probabilistic Daleks option is checked under the options menu.