Mazeworld Catacombs is a fast-paced arcade-style game based on the original Mazeworld 3D adventure. It has many features that the original Mazeworld does not, such as sound, keyboard controls, auto-mapping, and smoother graphics. Catacombs generates up to 30 three-dimensional point-of-view frames a second on faster Macintoshes - we're talking Performas here, not Power Macs. And although Catacombs uses much the same artwork as the original Mazeworld, the monsters are smarter, the colors are brighter, the action is more intense, and the objective is perhaps more understandable: make lots of points before you finally get blown away. In short, Mazeworld Catacombs is an arcade game that may appeal to more people.
I'd like to say thank you to all the people who made suggestions to improve Mazeworld - Original Mazeworld is still pretty much the same, but I'm hopeful that you'll like Mazeworld Catacombs. And let me say a big, big thank you to the people who actually sent in the shareware fee (usually distinct from the above crowd). All previously registered users will recieve Mazeworld 1.0.3 and Mazeworld Catacombs on disk, along with their new registration information, just as soon as we contact them to verify their address.
Mazeworld Catacombs is being released as pure shareware, using a registration code system similar to what's been done with other shareware. The original Mazeworld - hereafter referred to as "Original Mazeworld" or "Mazeworld Classic" - is also being re-released in it's complete form - no demo version anymore. I hope you note that there is not even an annoying "Pay your shareware fee" dialog when you start up Mazeworld or Mazeworld Catacombs - we're relying on you to be responsible and pay your shareware fees. The shareware fee to register Mazeworld and Mazeworld Catacombs TOGETHER is now only $10 - we feel this is pretty reasonable.
There is still one small incentive to register promptly: the registered version of Mazeworld Catacombs has energies which restore your life and energy, which can be pretty helpful. The unregistered version does not give you these energies.
There's a lot about Mazeworld Catacombs v.1.0 that could be improved. The instructions are hastily written. The graphics could be made even smoother (particularly the turns, which are still a little bumpy). The score tallying could be made more explicit. Sometimes the same sounds are used for different events. And no doubt some people will be confused by the differences between Mazeworld Catacombs and Original Mazeworld. Much could be done in the way of improvement, but let me just say that it isn't going to happen, unless people send in their $10 shareware fees. So please do.
- Mike Howard
December 1994
(The following text reproduces information that can be found in the Mazeworld Catacombs online documentation.)
OBJECTIVE
Mazeworld Catacombs has unending levels of random mazes, starting relatively easy and progressing into the "continuous carnage" realm. On each level, you start out at the center of the maze in the "stone circle" (not a reference to Stonehenge - it's just a grey circle on the floor). Your objective is to collect maze jewels and find your way off the level to score points. Somewhere in each maze is a "down tube" which will take you down to the next level. However, to activate the down tube, you must first find the pair of lava lamps somewhere else on the level, and activate them by shooting them. Until you've shot the lava lamps, there's no escape from the level except in death.
Death is pretty easy to come by. A variety of monsters wander the Catacombs, and none of them are friendly. They'll either shoot energy projectiles at you or try to kill you in other ways. To play Catacombs effectively, you'll have to learn how to dodge bullets and return fire.
When you shoot monsters, they disintigrate, but after a time they are resurrected in the stone circle at the center of the maze. You also are resurrected in the circle when you get killed, although you have only three lives per game. (Unlike real life, shooting things in Catacombs carries relatively little guilt.)
Look out - if you stay too long on a level, a curtain of fire will start spreading through the maze from the center. The curtain destroys most everything in its path.
STARTING CATACOMBS
When you run Mazeworld Catacombs, the Mazeworld Catacombs window appears on the screen, showing your high scores. To start playing, you can select "Play Game" from the file menu, hit the return key, or do various other things. Mazeworld Catacombs takes over your screen and you must use the keyboard controls explained below. To get back to the Macintosh desktop and pause the game, use the escape key.
CONTROLS
Unlike the original Mazeworld, Mazeworld Catacombs uses keyboard controls, not mouse control. On the numeric keypad, the 8 key moves you forward, 2 back, 4 and 6 move you left and right, and the 7 and 9 keys turn you left and right. On the main keyboard, the same controls are available centered around the S and K keys, just in case you have a PowerBook or are left-handed. The space bar or shift key fire - use of the shift key is generally better, for reasons outlined below. Unlike Original Mazeworld, there is only one kind of energy that you fire.
To play Catacombs effectively, you'll have to combine movement keys - for example, moving diagonally by holding down the 8 and 6 keys at the same time. This presents a problem - Macintosh computers generally only recognize two keys being held down at the same time. However, special keys like the shift key don't count. For this reason, it's best to use the shift key to fire - you can be holding down the 8 and 6 keys, or any number of keys, and "shift" will still be recognized, whereas the space bar might not be. Use shift to fire.
Mouse control is not available - amongst other things, using the mouse like in the original Mazeworld would not allow you to move sideways, an essential ingredient to playing Mazeworld Catacombs.
SPEED CONSIDERATIONS
Mazeworld Catacombs is a real-time 3D game, and generating 30 3-D graphics frames a second is what's called a "processor-intensive task" - in other words, it's a neat trick, especially on slower Macintoshes like the LC series. On just about any Macintosh, speed will be an issue. Catacombs, unlike the original Mazeworld, works much like a Quicktime movie - if you are not running fast enough to display the full 30 frames a second, Catacombs "skips" frames. However, if Catacombs slows down to under about 8 frames per second, you would miss too much action by skipping frames, so Catacombs actually starts slowing down the action. Of course, you don't want this to happen, and in an ideal world you would want to see the whole 30 frames a second, since 30 fps looks so much better and is easier to play. So, here are some important tips for making Catacombs run as fast as possible on your machine:
First and foremost, quit any other applications before playing Catacombs. This includes control panels: CLOSE ANY CONTROL PANELS, they'll slow down Catacombs considerably! If Catacombs moves in "spurts," most likely you have another application or a control panel open.
Second, there are a host of options in the Catacombs menus that effect the program speed and therefore the frame rate. In the "View" menu, smaller view sizes run faster. Also, lower graphics resolutions run faster. In the "Sound" menu, choose "reduced sound" or "no sound" for maximum speed. Most importantly, in the "More Power Scotty!" menu, all three options are "speed cheats" to get Catacombs running as fast as possible. They are explained elsewhere - here, we'll just say turn them all ON for speed.
One thing to note is that running with a "small" view size and low resolution may be faster than running the "tiny" view size at normal resolution - and you might prefer the size over the resolution. Other speed considerations include virtual memory (don't use it).
On the right side of the screen below the view window a red "slow bar" will appear when Catacombs is generating less than 30 frames a second. This bar gets longer the slower you go. Ideally, you want to adjust Catacombs so this bar doesn't appear at all, but failing that, keep it as small as possible. Above all, keep the bar from "maxing out" - when this happens, Catacombs is actually slowing down the action rather than just skipping frames.
THE SCREEN
Dominating your view when you are playing Catacombs is the view window, which shows your actual real-time view of the Catacombs. Below the view window are some informational displays. On the left side are indicators as to your life (when this bar gets down to nothing, you lose a life), your energy (how many projectiles you can fire), the time left until the Death Curtain starts expanding through this level killing everything in its path, and the number of lives you have remaining. On the right are indicators of which level you are on, the bonus points you have accumulated for this level, your accumulated score, and how many jewels are left on this level for you to collect. In the center below the view window is the Scanner, described below.
THE SCANNER
Your realtime scanner shows you a radar view of the maze around you. The scanner is auto-mapping - parts of the maze you've had direct line-of-sight to are mapped out. Parts of the maze you haven't seen are shown as an intermediate grey shade. You are the bright point at the center of the scanner window. As you move, the maze on the scanner moves around you. A small grey line points away from you to indicate which way you are facing. Note that the scanner view is always oriented with "North" "up," so you can keep your bearings.
Objects and monsters show up on the scanner. Monsters show up as bright points, projectiles show up as small points, and other objects show up as "X"s. NOTE that the scanner is limited in some ways; most notably, it has problems seeing monsters around corners. Don't concentrate on the scanner over the view window too much when you're starting to play the game - it's hard to pilot by the scanner alone, and dangerous to try. The view window isn't incidental to the game, it's essential. Most of the time, you'll need to concentrate on the view window. As you gain experience, you'll be able to rapidly glance at the scanner for guidance.
THE MAZE
Each level is a random maze. You always start at the center of the maze. The mazes will tend to get larger as you progress through the levels. Each level has a certain character, meaning it has certain types and approximate numbers of monsters and objects.
Maze jewels are always located in dead-ends in the maze. Collecting jewels adds to your Bonus score. If you make it off a level alive, you get the full bonus score of all the jewels you have collected, and an additional bonus of 1000 points for each level you have completed. If you manage to collect all the jewels on a level and make it out alive, you get twice that amount! However, if you die, you only get half the value of the jewels you have collected, and you get to start the level over (if you have any lives left, that is).
"Energies," which restore your life and energy, can also sometimes be found in dead-ends, but only after you've registered Mazeworld Catacombs!
OBJECTS
Stone Circle - A Stone Circle marks the center of each level. This is where you initially appear, and also where monsters are re-incarnated, some time after they are shot. The stone circle also marks the point where the curtain of death will start spreading through the maze after your level time runs out.
Maze Jewels - Collect these for for bonus points. There are four different sizes, scoring 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 points. You'll find bigger jewels as you progress through the levels. Unfortunately, you'll also find meaner monsters guarding them.
Down Tube - Moving into an active down tube takes you to the next level. You'll need to shoot the two lava lamps on the level to activate the downtube. If you make it to a down tube, you get your full bonus score plus 1000 points for each level you've completed. If you make it to a down tube after collecting all the jewels on a level, you get TWICE that amount! There is one down tube on each level. You'll need to find it.
Lava Lamps - There is a pair of dark blue lava lamps on each level. Shooting the lava lamps turns them on and activates the down tube. See "Down Tube" above.
Energies - These restore your life and energy. They only appear in the REGISTERED version of Mazeworld Catacombs: a small incentive for you to register promptly. Please support shareware and register your copy of Mazeworld Catacombs. It's only $10 and it's the right thing to do.
Death Curtain - After your time, as indicated by the "time" bar, runs out, a Curtain of Death will start expanding from the stone circle at the center of the level. If you get caught in the curtain, you're in trouble.
The Demon Jewel - Somewhere in the Catacombs lies the Demon Jewel. If you can take the Demon Jewel and make it off the level alive, you get double your bonus. If you collect all the other jewels as well, and make it out alive, you get a whopping 4X bonus. The catch? The Demon Jewel is booby trapped to start its own death curtain the minute you take it, and if you don't make it off the level alive, you get nothing for your trouble. Beware - greed for the Demon Jewel has led many an adventurer to their death.
MONSTERS (in order of appearance)
Evil Rats - Found on level 1, these guys fire a large, but relatively slow moving, projectile.
Amoeboids - Debuting on level 2, these guys don't fire projectiles, but move really fast and suck you up, doing damage until you destroy them.
Radioactive Evil Rats - Starting with level 3, these guys appear. They're like regular evil rats, only meaner and they fire a faster projectile. You can tell them by their incandescent white eyes.
Green Guys - Appear starting level 4. These fellows fire a smaller projectile, but like to let off a stream of them if they're fully charged.
Midi - On level 5, Midi arrives on the scene to blow you away. He's hard to kill, and likes to shoot off a wall of fire similar to the fire curtain. Also look out for level 10, "Planet of Midis". (I threw Midi in for Original Mazeworld fans who wanted to see Midi do more than just stand around. Enjoy.)
Seahorses - Debut on level 6. Fire a single small projectile, but they move like the wind and keep coming back for another pass. They also tend to work in "packs".
Death Shades - Debut on level 7. These guys shoot *guided* projectiles, and they can't be killed - only stunned.
Blue Seahorses - Debut on level 9. Like regular seahorses, except they move even faster.
MENU ITEMS DE-MYSTIFIED
APPLE MENU: The "About Mazeworld Catacombs" and "Instructions" options both take you to the on-line documentation, containing the title page and instructions similar to what you'll find here. The "Register" option is used to register Mazeworld Catacombs once you've sent in your $10 and recieved your registration code. You can use the "Print Registration Form" option to print a Mazeworld/Mazeworld Catacombs registration ordering form on your printer.
Registration information is stored in the Mazeworld Catacombs Preferences file in the Preferences folder, so registration stays with the Macintosh, not with the Mazeworld Catacombs application.
FILE MENU: "Play Game," "New Game," "Clear High Scores," and "Quit" - these should be pretty self-explanatory. If you have any questions, drop us a line at Farfetch@aol.com and I'll write more complete descriptions into the next revision.
VIEW MENU: The size options select what size view you want. Smaller sizes run faster. Note Mazeworld Catacombs will only support the view sizes that will fit on your largest monitor. (In theory, if you have more than one monitor, you can choose what monitor you want to play on by dragging the Mazeworld Catacombs window to the other monitor.)
The resolution options allow normal, low or lowest verticle resolution - lower resolutions are faster.
SOUND MENU: The sound options allow you to turn sound off or choose how many sound channels you want. The less sound, the faster, although the effect may not be as noticible as reducing the view size, reducing the resolution or turning on the speed enhancement options below. "Reduced Sound" gives you only one channel of sound, "Normal Sound" can run two sounds simultaneously, and "Full Sound" allows four channels of sounds running at the same time. Note some Macintoshes may not have the hardware to support "Full Sound" or even "Normal Sound." Having the Sound Manager 3.0 extension is recommended.
You need the sound file named "Mzwl Catacombs Sounds" to be in the same folder as the Mazeworld Catacombs application to be able to turn on sound.
MORE POWER SCOTTY MENU: These are speed-enhancement features you can turn on or off. Here are quick explanations of what they do, for all you engineers out there:
If "Draw Direct To Screen" is checked, Mazeworld Catacombs draws directly to your screen rather than using an offscreen buffer. If this works on your Macintosh, there's no reason you shouldn't use it - it can boost performance considerably. At last report, the only Macintosh this *didn't* work on was a black-and-white PowerBook (I'm not quite sure why), but the option is initially off to conform to Apple guidelines and ensure maximum compatibility.
"Skip Screen Sync" - Normally, Mazeworld Catacombs synchronizes itself to your screen to avoid screen glitches while updating the graphics. Screen sync makes for smoother screen updating on fast Macs, but waiting for screen sync kills a little time that could be spent rendering graphics or moving monsters. Turning on "Skip Screen Sync" disables this feature, to buy you a little speed.
"Distribute Mapping" - Drawing the map burns a surprising amount of processor time. This option spreads out the updating of the real-time scanner to every other displayed frame, to keep things moving right along.
Remember, Exceeding Warp 5.5 is illegal in most parts of the Galaxy.
ORDERING INFORMATION
To register both Mazeworld and Mazeworld Catacombs, fill out the information below and send it with a check or money order for $10 to:
Farfetch Software
P.O. Box 10788
Burke, VA 22009-1028
Be sure to include your name and your e-mail or snail-mail address. Either via e-mail or snail-mail, you will be sent a registration name and code, which you can use to register both Mazeworld and Mazeworld Catacombs on your Macintosh.
Additional Info: To keep costs low, Farfetch Software no longer ships disks or manuals to registered users, so we can send you all the information you need via e-mail, which is faster and generally more reliable. For a $3 fee, though, we will ship you a disk with the latest versions of both Mazeworld and Mazeworld Catacombs, unregistered.
Mazeworld Catacombs is Shareware. Copies of Mazeworld Catacombs may may be distributed freely for no charge. Copies of Mazeworld Catacombs may also be distributed for a reasonable fee by user groups and on-line services only. Mazeworld Catacombs must always be distributed in its original, unmodified form, complete with any accompanying files. Any other form of distribution requires the specific written permission of Farfetch Software.
Mazeworld Catacombs is not a free product. If you, the user, keep Catacombs for over 15 days, you are asked to pay a $10 shareware registration fee. The $10 fee covers registration of both Mazeworld Catacombs and Original Mazeworld. The registered user recieves a registration name and code which allow Mazeworld and Mazeworld Catacombs to be registered on the user's computer.
Farfetch Software is not responsible for any damage to the user's computer system or data and in no event will Farfetch Software be liable for any consequential, incidental, or indirect damages arising out of the use of this product. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you.
FARFETCH SOFTWARE
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