Harvey Norman Games/HN.iso/arcade/AK/BLAST10.ZIP/BLASTER.DOC

Text File | 1992-02-15 | 14KB | 295 lines

   Space Blaster(C). Copyright John Wagner 1992. All rights reserved.



                     JW Software Proudly Presents:

                     SPACE BLASTER, By John Wagner

                     256 Color VGA Space Adventure



Another fine game written with the FastGraph graphics library for
programmers. Backrounds created with Fractint and DKB Trace, assembled
with IMPROCES. All other graphics created exclusively with IMPROCES. For
more information on the software used to create this game, see the end
of this docement file.

Shareware:
Space Blaster is being distributed as shareware. Users are encouraged to
evaluate the game and if you like the game, you should register a copy
with the author. The specified evaluation period for Space Blaster is 14
days from when the package is recieved. After 14 days is up, please
decide on whether you will use Space Blaster again or not. If not, just
delete your copy of the program. If you would like to continue using the
game, please register your copy.

Why register?:
Registered users will recieve a commercial version of the game that
features over half a megabyte of new, full color backdrops that really
add some spice to the game. The registered version loads a new backdrop
after each level, 8 different backdrops in all. You will also recieve an
evaluation copy of IMPROCES. These graphics are simply wonderful to look
at, and even better to play Space Blaster over!

Registered users also have the option of getting:
GIF2BST.EXE. A utitlity to convert any 320x200 GIF file into a backdrop
file that Space Blaster can use. Thats right, you can use ANY 320x200
GIF file as your backdrop! GIF2BST is a commercial product that is only
available to registered users. The price for GIF2BST.EXE is $10(!) and
it must be purchased at the time of registration.

Registration for Space Blaster is only $15 (outside of North America,
add $5). Funds must be drawn on a US bank. Specify disk format, 3.5 inch
1.44 meg or 5.25 inch 360K. Also specify whether you wish to purchase
the GIF2BST.EXE utility program to convert any 320x200 GIF file to a
backdrop that can be used by Space Blaster. The price for GIF2BST.EXE
is only $10. GIF2BST.EXE must be purchased at the time of registration.

Please mail all registrations to:

                        John Wagner
                        6161 El Cajon Blvd., Suite B-246
                        San Diego, CA 92115

Master Card and VISA Accepted!:
You can also register by telephone with a Master Card or VISA. Call
[phone] (voice) and have your card ready. Registrations for
IMPROCES are also accepted at this number. Call in orders are accepted
Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, PST.

You may register with a credit card by telephone only, please use a
check or money order only for mail in registrations. The number for
credit card registrations is that of Ted Gruber Software and is for
orders only, not product support for any JW Software programs.

Unregistered Version Distribution Policy:
You are encouraged to share the shareware version of this game with
others. If you are a shareware vendor, I do not require a notification
that you intend to distribute the software. I do INSIST however that any
catalog or advertisment that Space Blaster is to be included in contain
a statement that this software is shareware and what the shareware
concept is (as I stated above is fine). NOT LOW COST SOFTWARE, but
shareware that must be registered if it used past the specified
evaluation period. All of the files included in this pack must be
included when the program is distributed and NONE of the files
(including this one) may be modified in any way.

Fetures:
Amazingly colorful 256 color screens, super smooth animation and
exciting action, all coupled in a VGA/MOUSE controlled deep space
adventure that you won't want to miss!

THE GAME:
The year is 1999, alien invaders have destroyed much of the earth. From
your command bunker, you will guide a radio controlled space craft and
do battle with the evil forces that want to destroy you and your kind.

Your radio controlled space craft is equipped with a full blown high
powered laser that can burn through almost anything. From your command
center you control your ship and it's weapon tracking system. Your
target tracker gives you up to the second coordinates and indicates when
it has a "lock-on" an enemy target, you make the decision to fire. Your
ship is powered by a remote energy source. Your laser uses power, your
ships engines use power, any enemy bombs that get through will sap your
power, if you get to near the planets surface you will lose power at an
alarming rate. Don't run out of power, you will crash and die on the
planets surface.

Attempt at drawing screen:
 ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │                                         ┌───┐                       │
 │                           ┌─────────────┘   │<-Bomber               │
 │                        ───┴─────────────────┘                       │
 │    ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐                           │
 │    └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  <-Alien Landing Crafts   │
 │    ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐  ┌─┐                                               │
 │    └─┘  └─┘  └─┘  └─┘         ┌┐                                    │
 │                               ││<-Bomb                              │
 │                               ││                                    │
 │         |                     └┘                                    │
 │     ----|----                                                       │
 │         |  <-Target designator (Move with mouse, fire with          │
 │                                 left mouse button)                  │
 │                                  ┌───┐                              │
 │                          ┌───────┘   └───────┐  <-Your ship         │
 │                         ─┴───────────────────┴─   Move with arrow   │
 │                                                   keys, or Right    │
 │                                                   Mouse Button      │
 └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Alien landing crafts inch their way towards the planets surface, destroy
them all and you will be rewarded with extra fuel. An unstopable alien
bomber drops hydrogen bombs, if they reach the planet they will slowly
eat up your precious energy supply - blast them out of the sky before
they hit! You will be rewarded with extra fuel for each bomb you hit.

After each round of enemy invaders is over, you will have a chance at
the "Bonus Round". During the round, the alien bomber will drop a bevy
of bombs on you, each one you shoot will increase your fuel stores.
During the bonus round, your laser will not use up any of your precious
fuel and you will float above the surface of the planet without using
your thrusters.

As you progress through the levels, the amount of bombs that the alien
bomber drops on you will increase, until the bomber is saturation
bombing you! Good luck!

To start Space Blaster:

1. Make sure you are in the directory that Space Blaster is
   located.

2. Type BLASTER from the DOS command line and press enter.

3. Blast 'em up!

REGULAR PLAY:
How to fly your ship:
Your radio controlled ship is controlled with the follow keys:

Right Arrow or 'D' key = right thrust
Left Arrow  or 'A' key = left thrust
Up Arrow    or 'W' key = down thrust
Down Arrow  or 'X' key = up thrust
Rignt Mouse Button     = up thrust
               'P' key = Pause

There is really no reason to move left or right, but you can if you want
to. The Right Mouse Button is the same as the down arrow key in that it
fires your up-thrusters. You really don't have to use the keyboard at
all. Make sure you keep your ship away from the surface of the planet,
it will eat up fuel FAST!

How to use your laser:
Moving the mouse will move your target designator. The current position
of the target designator is shown in the bottom right hand corner of
your control panel. When the target designator is over a hitable enemy
ship, a yellow '*' will light up on your control panel next to the
current designator position, press the Left Mouse Button (LMB) to fire
your laser. Each time you fire your laser, you will lose fuel. If the
target designator is over a hitable enemy bomb, a yellow '!' will light
up on your control panel next to the '*' hitable enemy ship designator.
If a you are lucky enough to catch a bomb and a ship together and you
get your designator over them in time and fire, you will get them both!

Enemy ships:
The enemy landing crafts move from left to right. When they get to the
right edge, they move down one level. If they are on the bottom level
and make it to the right edge, they land and you can no longer hit them.
The enemy bomber moves from the right edge of the screen to the left
edge. It drops its bombs in a random pattern, the higher the level, the
more bombs.

SCORING:
Each enemy landing craft that you destroy will earn you 10 points, but
it will cost you fuel to destroy them. If you destroy all of the enemy
landing crafts (40 per level), you will be rewarded with 300 units of
fuel after the bonus round.

When you destroy an enemy bomb, you will be rewarded with more fuel, but
you will not receive any points. If you let a enemy bomb hit the ground,
it will cost you fuel, but it will not cost you any points.

THE BONUS ROUND:
After all of the enemy ships are gone, you will go to the bonus round.
In the bonus round, your space craft will hover over the planets
surface, without using any fuel. The enemy bomber will drop drop a full
load of bombs and you should try to hit them all. Firing you laser in
the bonus round will not cost you any fuel, but each bomb you hit will
increase your fuel.

TIPS:
Don't stay on the bottom of the screen, doing so will eat your fuel like
it's going out of style.

Don't let the bombs hit the planet, they will eat up your fuel stores.

If there are bombs falling and you only have a few enemy ships left to
shoot, shoot the enemy ships first, the bombs will not hit and will
still be falling when the bonus round starts up so you can shoot them
to get extra fuel, without using your own fuel up (in the bonus round,
the laser is a freebie).

Use the Right Mouse Button to control your altitude, you really never
have to touch the keyboard.

Watch the '!' and '*' lights next to your target designator coordinates.
When they are lit (yellow), the target designator is over a hitable
target, fire and you will hit it! The '!' is for a bomb and the '*' is
for a enemy landing craft.


Tools used to create Space Blaster:

IMPROCES:
IMPROCES is a VGA/SVGA image processor for GIF, PCX, and True Color
Targa files.

IMPROCES can be called many things - a paint program, an image editor or
an image enhancer. All of the tools associated with a standard paint
program are included: Paintbrush, Rainbow, Dodging, Burning Paintbrush,
Airbrush switch, Line, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, Text. All
shapes can be filled with any of eleven different fill patterns. Twelve
Paintbrush styles. Five Fonts in five sizes. Eight line styles.
Floodfill, gradient floodfill, circular gradient floodfill. Copying,
Scaling and a FAT-BIT editor. Plasma fractal, terrain fractal, mirror,
flip, spin, rotate, color cycling, palette editor, color reduction.

IMPROCES includes several image processing tools: Area Histogram, Point
Histogram, Contrast Stretching. Sharpening, Laplacian, Vertical,
Horizontal, Vertical, Average, Median and Custom filtering for both
color and greyscale images.

IMPROCES includes a clipboard that allows you to cut and paste pieces of
images. You can then copy the clipboard from image to image, using the
remap palette feature of the clipboard and you can save the clipboard to
disk for later use.

IMROCES supports GIF/PCX and 24 bit TGA image file formats. You can
average or overlay images and use virtual screens if you want to edit
large (up 2048x2048x256) images and don't have an SVGA card.

IMPROCES is a must have for any graphics enthusiast. For the latest
version, call the Dust Devil BBS [phone] or register this program
and the IMPROCES evaluation pack will be sent to you automatically. If
you wish to purchase a registered copy of IMPROCES, mail $25 ($35
outside of North America) to the address above and specify disk format.
Credit card orders for IMPROCES are also accepted, call [phone]
(voice).

GIF2BST.EXE:
GIF2BST was used to convert the 320x200x256 GIF files to backdrops used
with Space Blaster. It is available to registered users of Space Blaster
for $10. To order GIF2BST, register Space Blaster and state that you
would like the GIF2BST.EXE utility program. Be sure to include add an
extra $10 for GIF2BST.

FastGraph:
From Ted Gruber software comes the FastGraph graphics library for
programmers. Simply put, it is the best graphics library available
today. You can write games and do animation that you never dreamed of
using this library. The users guide is a wonderfully written guide to
graphics programming. A must have.

Fastgraph isn't limited for writing games, any application requiring
robust graphics can make use of FastGraph. FastGraph supports C, Pascal,
Fortran and Assembly language.

This game wouldn't have happened without FastGraph or the support I've
received from Ted Gruber Software. For a copy of the FastGraph
evaluation kit, or to order FastGraph, call the Dust Devil BBS,
[phone](data) or for more information on FastGraph you can call
the number given above for credit card orders.

Fractint:
Fractint, fractal generator by the Stone Soup Group. Simply the best
fractal generator available anywhere. Widely distrubuted on BBS systems.

DKB Trace:
The registered version of Space Blaster includes Ray Traced images
made with DKB trace. The Targa image files produced by DKB trace were
loaded into IMPROCES and then further processed for use with this game.