Technotools/Technotools (Chestnut CD-ROM)(1993).ISO/os2tools/aster221/asteroid.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1991-06-09 | 10.7 KB | 409 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Help for Keys ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

ASTEROID 2.2 allows the user to select which keys control the ship.  To change
the default keys select the "Keys..." menu item in the "Options" menu.

The game play functions have the following default key definitions:

 <Left Arrow>
      Rotate Left

 <Right Arrow>
      Rotate Right

 <Up Arrow>
      Thrust

 <Down Arrow>
      Hyperspace

 <Space>
      Fire

 s
      Shield

 The following keys may not be redefined:

 F1
      Help

 1
      Select 1 Player Game

 2
      Select 2 Player Game

 <CTRL> + f
      Hide Frame Controls

 <CTRL> + k
      Redefine Keys

 <CTRL> + p
      Pause Game

 F3 or <CTRL> + x
      Exit Game

 Additionally, the mouse has the following functions:

 Double Click Left Button
      Hide/Show Frame Controls

 Double Click Right Button
      Pop up About dialog box

 Left Button + Drag
      Move screen without title bar


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Help for Game Control ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Game menu allows you to start a new game or affect a game in progress.

 New
      Starts a new 1 or 2 player game.

 Frame Controls
      Hides/shows the frame controls (titlebar, menu, etc.).

 Background
      Allows ASTEROID to run in the background and when iconized.

 Pause
      Suspends all screen action until unpaused.

 Stop
      Stops the game in process and returns ASTEROID to attract mode.

 Exit
      Exits ASTEROID.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Help for New Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 1 Player Game
      Starts a new one player game.

 2 Player Game
      Starts a new two player game.

 In two player games players alternate turns after each ship.

 If a game is already in progress, New will be disabled.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Help for Frame Controls ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the frame controls are visible, selecting Frame Controls will make them
invisible; if the frame controls are already hidden it will make them visible.

The frame controls are the system menu, the title bar, the minimize and
maximize buttons, and the application menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Help for Background ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When enabled, screen action will continue unless explicitly paused.

Normally game play is automatically paused when ASTEROID is iconized, when it
is not the foreground process, or when the user is accessing the menus or a
dialog box.

The Background option allows ASTEROID to be used as a backdrop and to be played
in iconic form.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Help for Pause ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pause pauses (or unpauses) ASTEROID.  If a game is in progress all action will
be stopped until the game is unpaused.

ASTEROID may also be paused by pressing <CTRL> + p.

You may unpause a game by selecting Pause, or by pressing <CTRL> + p.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Help for Stop Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If a game is in progress Stop will terminate it.

If a game is not in progress, Stop will be disabled.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Help for Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Exit or press F3 to exit ASTEROID.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Help for Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Optionsmenu allows you to adjust game play parameters and options.

 Ships
      Sets the number of ships you start each game with.

 Photons
      Sets the number of photons avaible.

 Rapid Fire
      Enable or disables rapid fire.

 Fire Rate
      Sets the rapid fire rate.

 Shield
      Enables or disables the shield.

 Keys
      Lets you redefine the ship control keys.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Help for Ships ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Ships submenu allows you to select the number of ships each player
initially receives.

(It may be set to 3, 4, or 5, the default is 3)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Help for Photons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Photons submenu allows you to select the maximum number of photons
available at any one time.

(It may be set to to 3, 4, 6, or 8, the default is 4)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Help for Rapid Fire ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Rapid Fire option allows you to enable or disable the rapid fire feature.

When enabled, rapid fire lets you fire multiple photons by simply holding down
the Fire key.

(By default, rapid fire is enabled)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Help for Fire Rate ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Fire Rate submenu allows you to set the rate of rapid fire.

Fire Rate is disabled unless Rapid Fire is enabled.

(The default rapid fire rate is Slow)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Help for Keys ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Keys... pops up the Key Definition dialog box which allows you to redefine
which keys control the ship.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Help for Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Get help on how to use help, get extended help, look at the help index, or to
look at copyright information.

 Help for help
      Provides detailed information on the kinds of help available and how to
      use help.

 Extended help
      Displays general help.

 Keys help
      Displays a list of keys.

 Help index
      Displays the help index.

 About
      Displays copyright information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Help for Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Help for Help shows what kind of help is available and how to use the available
help.

In general, help is provided for every menu, command, and other selections.

To get detailed information on help, click on Help for help..., or select it
and press <Enter>.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. Extended Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Extended Help provides general information about ASTEROID

To get extended help, click on Extended help...


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Help Keys ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Display a list of keys and mouse functions.

To display the list of keys, click on Keys help...


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Help for Help index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Display the help index.

The help index lists titles for all available help by subject.

To display the help index, click on Help index....


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Help for About ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Display copyright information.

To display the copyright information, click on About


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. Help for ASTEROID ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

ASTEROID is an OS/2 Presentation Manager implementation of the 1979 arcade game
Asteroids(tm) by Atari.

Additional information about ASTEROID is available on the following subjects:

 o Installation
 o Features
 o Scoring
 o A Brief History of ASTEROID
 o Important Notes

 ASTEROID is copyright (c) 1990, 1991 by Todd B. Crowe.  You may copy ASTEROID
 freely.  There is no warranty implied or otherwise.  You may not modify any of
 the code or any of the accompanying files without my permission.  ASTEROID may
 not be sold or distributed commercially or otherwise for profit.  I reserve
 all rights and privileges to ASTEROID.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Installing ASTEROID ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Installation

If you want to run ASTEROID from a full screen prompt simply type:
ASTEROID

If you want to install ASTEROID in a Presentation Manager program group: create
a "New..." program entry and supply a drive and path in the "Path and file
name" entry field:
C:\GAMES\ASTEROID.EXE

No parameters are required.

The file ASTEROID.HLP (this file) should be in the ASTEROID working directory
or in a directory pointed to by the HELP environment variable. ASTEROID.HLP
contains all of the help information for ASTEROID.

The file ASTEROID.DLL must be in a directory in your LIBPATH (e.g. C:\OS2\DLL);
if it is not ASTEROID.EXE will display an error message box and then terminate.
ASTEROID.DLL contains the two custom fonts used by ASTEROID.EXE.

On slower machines asteroid movement may look very jumpy. In fact, everything
moves at the same rate on a slow computer as a fast computer. On a slow
computer the asteroids are just redrawn less often.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Features ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Features

ASTEROID resembles very closely the arcade game Asteroids.  It supports the
player attraction modes, the high score entry screen, a high score table, a
custom font, and 2 player mode. Enemy space ships appear on the screen and fire
directly at the player's ship.  The player may hyperspace, but, as in the
arcade game, the player's ship randomly blows up on reentry.

Beginning in ASTEROID 2.0 high scores, window size and position information,
and frame control status were saved in a profile. ASTEROID 2.1 added a system
menu, a help screen, and the ability to customize the number of ships per game,
the number photons that may be fired simultaneously, the use of the shield, and
the keys for controlling the ship.

In version 2.1 a new game play feature was added to ASTEROID. The player's
ships may be equipped with a shield.  The shield protects a ship from
asteroids, the enemy ships, and photons.  It does, however, have a drawback.
The shield operates off of the hyperspace drive, which has a limited energy
reserve.  When the shield is on it draws energy from the hyperspace drive
energy reserve. Eventually, the reserve supply will become exhausted and the
shield will power down.  When the hyperspace energy reserve is low hyperspacing
is more dangerous.  If the shield is left off, the hyperspace drive will slowly
recharge the energy reserve.

Finally, this wonderful online help was added with ASTEROID 2.2 (the current
version).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Scoring ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Scoring

Scoring is the same as in the original arcade game:

 Large Asteroids = 20 points
 Medium Asteroids = 40 points
 Small Asteroids = 100 points
 Large Enemy Spaceships = 200 points
 Small Enemy Spaceships = 1000 points

 A free ship is awarded at 10,000 points and every 10,000 points thereafter.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> A Brief History of ASTEROID ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A Brief History of ASTEROID

 ASTEROID 1.0 - June 1990
  Basic Asteroids game
  Limited customization
  Variable speed settings
  Simple scalable screen display
  Integer math for speed

 ASTEROID 2.0 Changes - September 1990
  New custom fonts
  Asteroids-like screen display
  Automatic play speed selection
  1/2 Player games
  High score table
  Use of profile to save information
  Complete rewrite of code

 ASTEROID 2.1 Changes - May 1991
  Minor bug fixes from 2.0
  Menu bar, key definition, help screen
  Customize options
  Shield option

 ASTEROID 2.2 Changes - June 1991
  Minor bug fixes from 2.1
  Rapid fire
  Improved keyboard input
  On-line help


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Important Notes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Important Notes

ASTEROID is not shareware, but neither is it public domain. I do not ask that
you send me any money.  If you enjoy ASTEROID (and I know there are several of
you who do), then I would appreciate hearing from you.  In the past, people
have sent me examples of their own programs.  I also appreciate receiving
comments and suggestions for improvements.  If you are an employer and are
interested in hiring a young OS/2 (or UNIX) programmer, I would be interested
in hearing about possible job opportunities.

     Todd Crowe
     1310 Indian St.
     Bellingham, Washington 98225
     Internet Address: [e-mail]