The World of Computer Software/World_Of_Computer_Software-02-386-Vol-2of3.iso/b/boodfly.zip/BOODLE.DOC

Text File | 1992-10-28 | 14KB | 296 lines

Flight of The Boodles: a fun game for two humans.

Flight of the boodles depicts the dramatic journey of the boodles
across the Snagrock mountains, home of the grumking and his minions.
A boardgame/wargame based entirely on the tear-out game in the April
1982 issue of Dragon magazine.  Features detailed, tile-based graphics.  No
one-player mode.

OBJECT OF THE GAME:

The boodle player amasses victory points for each piece that makes it to
the valley of the paxberry trees alive.  The boodleplayer wins if he amasses
four victory points.

The grumjug player wins if he destroys all boodlepieces, or if the game is
ended during play before the boodle player has amassed four points.

How to play:

After the opening screen, you will be greeted with the "Allocation of
forces" screen.  By now, hopefully, one player has chosen to be the grumjugs
and the other the boodles; now is the time to choose what pieces you will
take to fight your epic battle!  The pieces, and their points cost, are
shown on the screen; press the appropriate key (a-d, 1-3) to buy a piece for
that side.  Note that the boodlettah (boodle queen) and hah-grumjug (grumking)
are already allocated, one per side, and you may not have more than one
of these pieces.

THE PIECES- BOODLES

Boodlettah: the fair and noble ruler of the boodles, the boodlettah may
not attack and may only move 1-6 squares per turn.  She is worth one victory
point if she reaches the valley of paxberry trees.

Boodle: The oridinary, average boodle may only move 1-6 squares per turn,
and is worth one victory point if he reaches the valley.

Boodlino (boodle fighter): Burly, stalwart boodle fighters move 1-6, and when
next to a grumjug may engage him in combat.  Combat is 50% successful; failure
means death to the boodlino.  These are the only boodlepieces that can engage
grumjugs.  Boodlinos are worth one victory point.

Hoakboodle (boodle wizard): the mystical hoakboodles have but one power, the
GrumJigJam spell.  The works about 2/3 of the time, and when it does, it
deflates the tires of all grumbuggies within three squares of the boodlewiz
for the grumplayer's next term.  Furthermore, any grumbuggies entering this
zone during the upcoming grum turn are deflated as well.  Boodlewizzes move
1-6 and are worth one victory point.

Bombastaboodle (boodle blaster): These mortar-shaped devices are things, not
boodles, and cannot move of their own free will.  Spelled by an adept hoak-
boodle years ago, bombastaboodles are light and easy to carry until set.  Once
set, they may never be moved again!  Bombastaboodles allow any boodlepiece
to "blast" itself up to three squares any direction (over mountains, grumbombs,
or anything).  If a piece lands in a mountain square it may walk out un-
harmed into grass.  This ends the movement turn for this piece.

THE PIECES-GRUMJUGS

Hah-Grumjug (Grumking): The hah-grumjug does not move and merely sits in
the north end of the mountains and makes more grumpieces for the battle.
The grumplayer recieves one grumpiece every three turns, depending on what
is already in the creation square next to the grumking; first grumbombs,
then grumbuggies, then grumjugs.

Grumjug: The cute green scaly grumjugs are at home in the valley and strongly
resent the boodles' invasion.  Armed with clubs in their feet and walking
on their hands, the clumsy grumjugs can only move one square per turn unless
riding a Grumjig.  They may engage any boodlepiece except a blaster, killing
boodlinos 50% of the time (failure meaning death) and all other boodlepieces
5 times out of 6 (failure meaning another chance).  Grumjugs automatically
attack boodlinos, then hoakboodles, then boodles, then the boodlettah.

Grumjig: These little buggies are about as reliable as a '65 corvair, but
during the game will work as long as they are not jammed by a hoakboodle.
They can carry a grumjug driver and either a second grumjug or a grumbomb.
Grumjigs may not attack but do move 4 squares per turn.

Grumbomb: grumbombs are deathtraps.  Once set, they eat everything that
enters their square, including the grumjug that set them.  Since grumjugs only
move one square per turn, a grumpiece setting a grumbomb at the end of his
turn is just asking for trouble!

CONTROLS:

arrow keys- movement
w - delay movement for later in turn
enter, space- end turn for piece
+,p - pick up grumbomb, grumjug, or boodleblaster.
-,d - drop cargo (does not set bombs or blasters)
s - sets grumbomb or boodleblaster
t - tactical overhead map
b - blast with boodleblaster (boodlepieces only!)
r - ride in grumjig (grumpieces only!)
c - cast grumjigjam spell (hoakboodles only!)
? - help screen
Q - quit game

Flight of the Boodles was translated to IBM format in about a week and a
half and relied heavily on YakIcons 1.3, the object-oriented icon library
by V. Putz.  Source code for the game itself is included (though without the
massive YakIcons cpp files)

HOWEVER:

Flight of the Boodles was not my idea.  I shamelessly took it from the
April 1982 issue of Dragon magazine, published by TSR (the guys that brought
us Dungeons and Dragons).  The game and magazine cost $4.50 at the time,
and so if you like this game, please send Dragon magazine $4.50 and my thanks
for their cooperation in not saddling me with a lawsuit for a $4.50 tear-out
game (hope! hope!).  Unfortunately, I cannot find the Dragon Publishing ad-
dress (my mother threw out several years of Dragon when I moved out and forgot
to take them with me), but any hobby shop should have it.  I repeat: I did
not write this game, only translated it for computer!  Loyal readers will,
on comparison, notice a few differences between the real rules and mine, most
notably that the grumjugs don't have the ability to allocate their pieces
(they're just spread out randomly).  Since they can't prepare, this makes
the game a little in favor of the boodles; to alleviate this, use the command
line option

c> boodles n1 n2

where n1 is the number of boodle points and n2 the number of grumjug points
available for piece allocation at the beginning of the game.  Starting
point scenarios from Dragon:

Boodles         Grumjugs
35              36              (default)
47              48
59              60
71              72

The following is an excerpt from the 1982 issue of Dragon magazine, printed
without permission.

ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FLIGHT OF THE BOODLES

WHAT IS A BOODLE?
A boodle is a piece in this game that resembles a pawn in chess.  It can't
do much, isn't worth a lot, and usually gets wiped out so the queen can
survive.

NO, WHAT ARE BOODLES?
Boodles are a race of beings.

WAIT A SECOND.  I'M CONFUSED.  YOU'VE GOT BOODLE AND BOODLES, BOODLETHIS
AND BOODLETHAT.  WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Hmmmm.  This may not be easy.  Boodles can be both generic and specific.
A Boodle, for example, is a pawn-like piece in Flight of the Boodles, and
any piece in the boodle force can also be termed a Boodle.

<stuff deleted>

WHY ARE THEY FLEEING?
According to C.C. Stoll, "The advance of the foul Rotsnort Plague continued
west(/east)ward, and decay and snorting consumed all creatures in its path."
The Boodles were in the path of thes stuff, so the Boodle Queen, the Boodlet-
tah, called a big meeting, and the Boodles decided to leave their homeland.
  The boodles traveled across the desert wasts, splitting into three groups,
C.C. says, hoping to improve their chances of finding a lasting supply of
Paxberry trees.

WHAT'S A PAXBERRY TREE?
It's the only thing you eat if you're a boodle.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER TWO GROUPS OF BOODLES?
They seem to have vanished mysteriously, although we're thinking of presenting
their story in sequel games, "Plight of the Boodles" and "Might of the
Boodles." [note: I don't think these were ever made, but I'll translate 'em
if I find them]  The third group, the one led by the Boodle Queen herself, was
forced southward by a blinding sandstorm.  As C.C. puts it: "These Boodles at
last came to the central passes of the Snagrock Mountains... the realm of the
dread Hah-Grumjug and his malodorous minions..."

HEY, THIS IS THE APRIL FOOL'S ISSUE-- IS THIS A JOKE?
Nope.

YEAH, BUT THESE COUNTERS LOOK KINDA FLIMSY.  IS THIS JUST ANOTHER RUSE TO GET
US TO BUY MORE MAGAZINES?
We'd never think of doing such a thing.

<stuff deleted about solo play, which I didn't implement>
<stuff deleted about the two valleys at each end of the board, which I
 changed so that there was only one>

DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHERE THE BOODLES START?
The Boodles can start out in either valley [either side-- it's random].  The
possible paths to the other side are different, depending on which valley
the Boodles start from.

HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHO PLAYS BOODLES AND WHO PLAYS GRUMJUGS?
Take the extra grumking counter and flip it.  If it lands face up, you'll have
to decide among yourselves.  If it lands face down, flip it again.

CAN MORE THAN ONE BOODLEBLASTER BLAST DURING A TURN?
Yes.  And the same Boodleblaster can be used more than once during a turn.
And, a boodlebeing can be blasted by more than one boodleblaster during a
turn.  Think about that for a while. [note: blasting now ENDS the turn.  Other
wise the queen could just load up with blasters and make a line across the
board in a very few turns.  Besides, without the ability to strategically
place forces, the Grumjugs are at a severe enough disadvantage!]

HMMMM... CAN BOODLBLASTERS EVER BE DESTROYED?
Nothing lasts forever.  (If this copy of the game doesn't, just send us
$4.50 and we'll send you another one.) [note: or just download it.  I'm
not sure the original is still available].  But equipment in Flight of the
Boodles usually won't be eliminated.  The only way equipment can be taken
out is if it is deliberately moved into a sqare occupied by a set Grumbomb.
You can do that if you like.  But remember, this game isn't called "Flight
of the Lemmings."

A GRUMJUG DRIVING A GRUMBUGGY CAN SPLIT ITS MOVEMENT AROUND THE SETTING OR
DISCHARGE OF A GRUMBOMB OR ANOTHER GRUMJUG.  BUT A BOODLEBEING CANNOT SPLIT
MOVEMENT BEFORE AND AFTER BEING BLASTED BY A BOODLEBLASTER.  ISN'T THIS
UNFAIR?
Being blasted is by definition a traumatic experience.  Talk to anyone who's
blasted.

<stuff deleted about not moving out of the starting valley>

LOW-GRADE PLAYER?  THERE ARE HIGH-GRADE PLAYERS?
You betcha.  "Flight of the Boodles" may appear to be a simple game, but there
are many possible strategies and combinations of outcomes. [my wife, after
being forced to playtest, debates this]

THE BOODLES DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE, DO THEY?
That's what Pharaoh thought about Moses, eh?  Until the Red Sea, that is.
Remember, Boodles have the Boodleblaster, which can send them over mountains--
and Grumbombs-- to thwart the best-laid Grumjug plans.
    The GrumJigJam spell can also throw a monkey wrench into the evil desires
of the Grumking.  And, boodlefighters can protect the other pieces and break
through a Grumjug defense in the final push to the finishing valley.
    In case you're still wondering about strategy, here are some tips:
-- Good luck winning if the boodle Queen is destroyed.
-- Advancing in one big force can work, but deploying your troops can also be
   effective.  A single Boodle can force the Grumjug player to decide whether
   to commit forces to go after it.
-- Watch out for the Fortress of the Grumking. [note: not in this game.  It's
   where reinforcements come from, and where the Grumking stands making the
   reinforcements.  Watch out for the Grumking.]

HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME?  HOW 'BOUT SOME TIPS FOR THE GRUMJUGS?
Get a lot of Grumbombs and set them so the Boodlepieces must advance through
one of the passes. [note: tough, since you can't set them up before play.  A
good tactic, though.]

WHAT IF THE BOODLEPLAYER HAS A LOT OF BOODLEBLASTERS-- COULDN'T THE BOODLES
JUST BALST OVER THE GRUMBOMBS AND SPEED OFF TO VICTORY?
You said it, not me.

WELL, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
Try holding your forces back, so they're outside the range of BoodleBlasters and
Boodlewiz's GrumJigJam spells.  Or, you could:
-- Keep the Boodles under pressure, forcing them to set and commit their
   Boodleblasters early or use GrumJigJam spells.  The latter don't work
   one-third of the time, which are good enough odds for horse racing.
-- Try an early push to capture the Boodle Queen or a Boodlewiz.  Sometimes
   the best defense is a good offense.
-- Don't rely too much on reinforcements, unless you can seal off the side of
   the board away from the Fortress of the Grumking.

CREDITS: [original version]
Design: Chuck Stoll
Development: Bryce Knorr, Roger Raupp
Editing: Kim Mohan
Map and Graphics: Darlene
Playtesting: Roger Raupp, Gali Sanchez, Bryce Knorr, Kim Mohan, Bill Boodle,
             George Grumjug
Inspiration: Wendy Vincent

CREDITS: [IBM Version]
Design: V. Putz
Data Structures: V. Putz
Programming: V. Putz
Graphics: V. Putz
Playtesting: V. Putz, B. Ward, J.P. Carter
Inspiration: Everyone in the original credits.
(okay, so I'm shamelessly proud of this.  It's my first game ever, even if
no one will play it on a regular basis.)

Thanks to everyone who ever reads this for taking the trouble.  If anyone
at Dragon reads this and wants to prosecute, please don't, since I'm not
making anything off this and I really like y'alls work to begin with.  If any-
one at Dragon reads this and thinks it's keen, please write and let me know
(c'mon, fan mail from Gary Gygax or Kim Mohan would really make my day... heh)

If anyone's interested in upcoming releases, or just wants to say "hey, it
wasn't a terrible game," or if for some reason "Flight of the Boodles" didn't
work on your computer, lob me a letter:

email: [e-mail]              (probably good for a while)
rmail: Victor B. Putz, Jr.
       1580 Chapel Hills Drive #H-104
       Colorado Springs, CO 80920       (good until Dec. 04, then it might
                                         be forwarded)