100 Pусских Uгр/980121_2306.iso/ARCADE/SNAKE.ZIP/SNAKE_E.TXT

Text File | 1995-11-25 | 12KB | 314 lines

                             SNAKE BATTLE



     I. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS.

     -switch on your computer and load the DOS;
     -insert the game disk in drive A;
     -copy the game to your hard disk, for example the following way:
      MKDIR C:\SNAKE
      COPY A:\*.* C:\SNAKE
      CD C:\SNAKE
     -type in "snake /e" for starting English version of the  game  and
      press  ENTER
     -when title page displays, strike any key or click mouse button.


     II. COPY PROTECTION.

     This game is protected from unauthorized usage by password system.
     You shall  be  asked  for  one particular word from the code table
     (see part IX) when starting the game.  For example:  "Type word D3
     from the code table". You are allowed 3 attempts.


     III. PRINCIPLES OF SNAKE BATTLE.

     The principle of this game is significantly different  from  these
     of most of other games.  The  number  of  players  is  practically
     unlimited. Your task is to prepare your own snake for competitions
     (i.e.  to create and to train it) but in battle itself you can  be
     only  a  spectator.  The snake begins to live its own life:  takes
     part in competitions,  behaves according to the strategy you  have
     taught it, wins or loses and - who knows? - may yield you a profit
     and glory.  Besides,  you always have the opportunity  to  improve
     fighting qualities of your snake (of course,  if it is not engaged
     yet in a large tournament).

     In one  combat  up to 4 snakes can take part simultaneously.  They
     attack each other.  If snake's head touches enemy's tail  it  will
     bite  it  off,  thus  shortening  the enemy's body by one cell and
     adding it to its own length.  The winner has the maximum length at
     the  end  of  the  battle.  Snake's  length can be regarded as the
     amount of won points or dollars.

     To create a fighting snake - that is:
     * to choose name for your snake,
     * to choose its colour,
     * to make passport for the snake,
     * to programme its strategy on battle field,
     * to set a password.

     Your snake is your property,  therefore nobody can  change  it  or
     pry secrets of its program without knowing your own password.


     IV. THE MAIN MENU.

     After starting the game and pressing any key you will see the main
     menu that looks like a set of icons and screen buttons.

     EDIT PASSPORT*
     Put the cursor on the picture and press ENTER or left mouse button
     and you will enter the regime of filling your snake's passport.

     BATTLE
     Put the cursor on the icon and press ENTER or left mouse button to
     start the  competition  between  chosen  snakes  (about picking up
     snakes see below).

     CHOOSE COLOUR*
     When you start this regime, you can choose or change the colour of
     skin of your Snake.

     MAKE SNAKE'S BRAIN*
     This is the regime of programming your Snake's behaviour.

     Screen buttons:

     ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS    - information about the authors of the game,
     NEW PASSWORD*       - set a new password for a snake,
     EXIT                - interrupt the game and quit to DOS.

   ! Notice:  the asterisked options are available only after  entering
     the password of the snake.


     V. PICKING UP SNAKES.

     In the right part of screen there is a pile of cassettes,  each of
     them connects full information about one particular snake.

     In the  four  upper  cells  you put cassettes with snakes that you
     intend for next round of battle (let's call  them  "battle-pile").
     The  top  cassette  is  intended also for work (teaching,  editing
     passport, changing colour)

     In the lower pile there is the bank of existing snakes.

     Place arrow pointer on the snake you want to put  into competition
     and  press  Enter or click mouse button.  Then point a position in
     the "battle-pile" and press Enter  once  more.  If  the  cell  was
     already filled, the previous snake will return to the bank.

     To see the next part of the list choose the red arrow.

     To begin creating a new snake choose the top cell when it is empty
     and type a new name when twinkling cursor appears.
     If you enter a name that already  exists  then  the  corresponding
     cassette from the bank will be loaded.


     VI. OPTIONS OF THE MAIN MENU.

     A). BATTLE

     After entering  this  regime  you  will  see  the battle field and
     passports of snakes enlisted for the current battle.  In  the  top
     right corner there is the information tableau with  names, colours
     and  score number of fighting snakes.  If several rounds of battle
     take place,  score number for each snake will be the total through
     all  the rounds have been held without returning to the main menu.

     Below you  can see the time indicator of the current battle.  When
     time is up, the battle will be interrupted.

     Control panel:

     PLAY - begin the battle.

     SLOW -  in  this  regime  execution  of  each  game  step requires
     pressing the SPACE bar or clicking mouse button (game  step  means
     that all the snakes make one move each).  Besides, if the password
     of the "top cell snake" was input correctly,  in the bottom  right
     corner you  will see its card being executed at this moment (about
     cards see the section MAKE SNAKE'S BRAIN).

     STOP - interrupts battle at any moment.

     SOUND  - toggle sound on and off.

     MAIN MENU - quit to the main menu at any moment.

     When the battle is over you can either start  it  again  with  the
     same  snakes or return to the main menu.  Then the passport of the
     snake-winner with its new  rating  will  appear  over  the  battle
     field. To quit BATTLE press ENTER or click mouse button.

     B).EDIT PASSPORT

     To enter this regime you need to know the password of the snake in
     the  top  cell.  If you pick up this item with the top cell empty,
     you will be asked for a new name.
     In snake's  passport  there  is  information about number of cards
     used in its program,  rating,  level of complexity of  programming
     instrument.
     Rating is proportional to the average length of the  snake through
     all  its  battles and primarily is equal to 1000.  In the passport
     you can print your own name  or  pseudonym,  motto  or  any  brief
     information you want.

     C).CHOOSE SKIN

     After entering the password you will see a little cage with moving
     snake. Choose its colour by "Left" and "Right".


     D).MAKE SNAKE'S BRAIN

     If this regime is entered for a new snake then you must choose the
     complexity level of teaching instruments.

     NOVICE
     ADVANCED
     EXPERT

     Then 9 cards and a control panel will appear.

     PRINCIPLES OF CREATING A SNAKE-PROGRAM

     During the  battle  each  snake  moves  along  the cellular field.
     Before each game step the  proper  sequence  of  snakes  moves  is
     determined by  chance.  Then  each snake makes a move in its turn.
     The move means either transportation on one empty cell,  or biting
     off the opponent's tail with transportation to its place.  If both
     is impossible, the snake remains motionless.

     Snake's  behaviour is  programmed by means  of cards consisting of
     7*7 positions,  which can be  filled  with  conventional  elements
     described  on  the  control panel.  The player can use from 1 to 9
     cards.

     At every moment of time a snake takes a view of a  field  fragment
     of  7*7  cells around its head and compares it with the first card
     of  its  behaviour  (rotating  it  if  necessary).  The  card   is
     considered coincided with field fragment if while superimposing it
     under all the elements of the card the same elements of  the field
     are found.  If it occurs, the direction of the snake's head on the
     card will show the direction of its motion on the  next  step.  If
     not, the fragment will be compared with the second card and so on,
     until the proper card is found. If there is no corresponding card,
     the direction of snake's movement will be random.  While comparing
     the card can be rotated in all directions,  for example, it can be
     overturned  with picture down.  That is why you needn't make cards
     with symmetrical disposition of elements, because these cards will
     work exactly the same way.

     MAIN MENU - by means of this screen button you  can  quit  to  the
     main menu.


     Regime NOVICE.

     In the  right  bottom part of screen you see the indicator of work
     with cards which can be in one of the following conditions:

     EDIT CARD
     INSERT CARD
     DELETE CARD

     Switching of regimes is made by pressing ENTER or  clicking  mouse
     button while the arrow cursor is placed on the indicator.

     EDIT CARD -
     By means of arrow cursor activate the element on the control panel
     you want to put in a card.  Then point the position  in  the  card
     where you  want to place it and press ENTER or click mouse button.
     To delete the element press ENTER again.

     INSERT CARD -
     put the  arrow  cursor on the card before which you want to insert
     a new one and press ENTER or click mouse button.

     DELETE CARD -
     place the cursor on the card you want to delete and press ENTER or
     click mouse button.

     Screen buttons FOR ADVANCED are not used in this regime.


     Regime ADVANCED.

     This part  is  for players who regard the instruments suggested in
     the regime NOVICE too simple.

     On the  control  panel two buttons are added:

     OR-COLOR and EXCEPT

     OR-COLOR -  when this button with blue indicator is activated, you
     can change the colour of any element on cards  to  the  colour  of
     indicator. Point the element you want to repaint and  press  ENTER
     or click mouse button.  To cancel OR-COLOR press the button again.

     The rules of comparing cards are different from  these  of  regime
     NOVICE. For  executing a card with one or several blue elements it
     is enough that at least one of such elements  would  coincide  (at
     the  same  time  all  the ordinary elements must coincide).  If it
     occurs in several positions of the card the  program  will  choose
     one where the coincidence is more complete.

     EXCEPT -  when  this  button is activated,  the element pointed by
     cursor will  be crossed out.  This element will coincide if in its
     place on the field any element except this one is found.

     The button EXPERT is not used in this regime.


     Regime EXPERT

     The regime for elite.

     On the control  panel  the button is added  with colour indicator:

     AND-COLOR

     and one more OR-COLOUR appears (now they are blue and green).

     The rules of comparing cards:
     All the  elements  of  the  same colour (from AND-COLOUR set) must
     coincide simultaneously.  Then it is considered that  this  colour
     group coincides.
     There is also a possibility added to  change  the  colour  of  the
     frame  encircling  each card entirely.  For this put the cursor on
     the proper indicator,  pick up the colour,  then put the cursor on
     the own head of your snake in chosen card and press  ENTER.  Along
     with the frame the colour of OWN HEAD  will  be  changed.  If  the
     frame  colour is the one from AND-COLOUR then the card is compared
     the same way as in ADVANCED regime. If it is from OR-COLOUR - then
     the  card  will  coincide  when  at least one of the colour groups
     coincides.

     In this regime you can change the position of OWN HEAD in cards.


     E).NEW PASSWORD

     Here you can change the password of your snake.  Put the cursor on
     the screen button,  press ENTER or click mouse button and type  in
     new password. The password is changed.


     VIII. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.

     -IBM PC XT/AT or compatible;
     -640*350 EGA, with 256 kb on board and 16 colours;
     -about 400 Kb of operating memory at run time;
     -Mouse (optional)