Mazer3D creates random, SOLVABLE, three dimensional mazes for you to wander around in. You see the maze from inside the tunnels. This, of course, can get very confusing, so you can also look at a map which shows all the areas that you have explored on the current level. To keep you from getting bored, there is also a point to the adventure: find a specified number of crystals and then find the exit portal and get out.
Playing the Game
The basic object of the game is to find the crystals hidden in the maze and then get out via the exit portal. The crystals are placed in random positions, though far enough from you to make the game interesting. When you find a crystal, take it by walking into it. When you pick up the last crystal, you will hear a different sound to indicate that you should now start looking for the exit portal.
To move through the maze, you can use the keypad keys:
7-up 8-forward
4-turn left 5-place marker 6-turn right
1-down 2-back
or
U-up I-forward
J-turn left K-place marker L-turn right
M-down , -back (comma)
Extra keys:
space bar-place marker
You can also use the mouse. By moving the cursor around in the Forward View window, the cursor will change shape to indicate in which direction you will move when you click the mouse button. The circle with a dot in it means that you will move forward.
The moves you make are relative to your viewing direction.
The floor (down) is normally shaded grey. If you place a marker, the floor at that location will be drawn with a different pattern. This is very useful for marking places that branch off into many tunnels. By repeatedly placing a marker at the same location you will cycle through three different patterns and then finally back to grey (no marker).
By strategically placing markers, you can avoid getting lost. As an example, you can leave a trail of markers to indicate where you came from by placing one each time you change direction. By following these markers (and removing them as you pass them), you will always be able to find your way back to the starting point.
The map displays the level of the maze that you are currently on. That is, when you move up or down a level, the map will be redrawn to display the new level. To display the up and down tunnels, small lines pointing towards the center of the grid square are drawn. An up tunnel is marked in the upper right hand corner of the grid square. A down tunnel is marked in the lower left hand corner of the square.
The grey areas of the map represent areas of the maze that you have not yet explored.
The direction that you are facing is indicated by the notch in your position marker.
To create a new maze, select “New Maze” from the File menu. You will then be presented with a dialog window. The complexity level that you specify in the dialog is a rough measure of how difficult the maze will be to solve. However, a level 3 maze can, in principle, be easier than a level 1 maze because the mazes are completely random. The z-dimension is the number of levels (up and down) in the maze.
Other features
The “New Crystals” menu item will redistribute the crystals within the current maze and return you to the starting point. “New Game” will put new crystals in the same positions and return you to the starting point.
Once you enter the password, you can save the game at any time and then resume it later. This is especially useful if you are exploring a very large maze.
Registration
If you have any suggestions for improving this program, please let me know. If you haven’t paid for the program, please do so. It took a lot of effort to get the program to work, so a contribution of US$10 or more will be greatly appreciated.
Some of this program's features are protected by a password. This was done to encourage you to send in your shareware fee. The menu item “Enter Password” allows you to enter the password and unlock the protected features. When you send me US$10 and the Phrase given in the Enter Password dialog, I will send you the correct password.
Once you enter the password, the program will save it so that you do not need to do it again. Please remove the password from the copies you give to your friends.
I’ll be happy to send you a list of my other programs if you want me to.
My address is:
John Lindal
P.O. Box 4092
Point Dume, CA 90264
USA
My E-mail address is:
jafl@alice.wonderland.caltech.edu
Disclaimer
I have tried to debug this program on all the common Macs. However, I can’t guarantee that it will work with all systems. If the program does crash, send me a letter telling me how it happened (error messages and numbers are very useful!), and I’ll try to fix the problem.
Bugs Fixed from Previous Versions
1) Many people complained about the original movement system, so now it (hopefully) makes more sense, and you can even use the mouse.
Mazer 3D 2.0
2) Ingemar Ragnemalm suggested that I should add shading to the floors, markers to help you from getting lost, and sounds to keep you awake.
Mazer 3D 2.1
3) Carlos Santiago pointed out that Mac Notebooks don’t have a keypad, so I added the other set of keys.
4) Ingemar Ragnemalm suggested that the Crystals could look nicer, and that the marking pattern should be shown when you look up as well as down.
Mazer 3D 2.2
5) Ingemar Ragnemalm suggested that the Crystals and the Exit Portal would look even nicer if they were in 3D.
6) Richard Little suggested that there should be multiple marker patterns.
Mazer 3D 3.0
7) Jeremy Hoesly suggested that one should be able to save the game because finding many crystals in a large maze takes a long time.
8) Also at the suggestion of Jeremy, you can now place as many as 100 crystals in the maze.
9) Martin Charest finally convinced me to add some more shading to the maze.
Mazer 3D 3.01
10) Ernie Malaga pointed out that the “move forward” cursor looked more like “cannot move forward,” so I changed it.
