Season's Greetings & Games Unlimited/UGOLD_cd2.iso/fence/fence.doc

Text File | 1992-05-24 | 12KB | 293 lines

FENCE.DOC                       Rev: 17 May 1992

Contents:
   SUMMARY
   STARTING THE GAME
   FENCES
   MAP CONTROLS
   SCORING
   DETAILS OF SHEEP & HERDER
   CUSTOM MAPS
   SHAREWARE & THE ASP

---------

SUMMARY:
==========
FENCE is a Tetris-like strategy game in which you prevent your sheep from
escaping by building fences and mazes.  You change the landscape by planting
hedges or stonewalls and by destroying unneeded fences.  FENCE uses
Cascoly's unique 3-D perspective graphics to show fantastic detail.  Sheep
move behind walls or through water. As you scroll from side to side, the
perspective changes.   You're not limited to 2 directions for scrolling --
you can scroll in EIGHT directions.  There are several maps, of varying
difficulty.

FENCE requires a MS compatible mouse and EGA or better graphics.

Credits:      Design & programming: Steve Estvanik
              Graphics programming: Ken Birdwell
              Additional graphics:  Bea Sodero
              Betatesters:          Karim Nassar
                                    Steve Blendermann
                                    Dave Morse

STARTING THE GAME:
==================
To start the game, choose Play from the main menu.   (Later use the Map
command to select alternate maps).  When prompted, select Difficulty 1 and
startup in clumps.  This will give you the simplest setup and let you become
acquainted with the commands while playing the first game.

The map initially shows the sheep, who start all in one place because you
chose 'clump'.  Press F4 to get the global map, and you'll see the herd on
the overall map.  You'll also see the shepherd (A).  Move the mouse to the
sheep and press the button.  The new map will show you the planters.  This
is the fastest way of jumping from one area to another.  You can also scroll
the map.

Right click near a map edge (cursor keys work, too) scrolls the map in any
direction (including diagonally.

Centered under the map are icons showing the types of terrain you can
select:
       Terrain     Usage                     Strength      Maintenance
      ----------   ------------------------  ---------     ------------
      * Hedge      small hedges              low           low
      * Bocage     large hedgerows           medium        medium
      * Wall       stone walls               high          high

      * Rubble     Created when sheep break through, or by player
                   to decrease maintenance costs
      * Flag       Place this to attract the shepherd

Left click on the terrain you want to use.  Then move the mouse to the map
and left click on the area to place it.  There are some restrictions to
where terrain can be placed.  See details below, or experiment.

Function keys:
--------------
      F1: Help
      F2: Grid pattern
      F4: Global map
      F5: Turn entire map 90 deg clockwise
      F6: Turn entire map 90 deg counterclockwise
      F7: Rotate current wall segment
      F8: Discard current wall segment
      F10: Quit the game

      Alt-S toggle sound

Goals
-----
Fence has a fixed time limit.  (You have the option of continuing to play
past this time limit, for bonus points).  You score points by delaying the
sheep.  You lose points for each fence and hedge you place.  You also pay
maintenance points for all fences and hedges you have on the map.  Thus
you'll score more if you use fewer pieces.  For this reason, you may want to
destroy older walls and fences that no longer help to block sheep.

FENCES
======

Constructing a fence
--------------------

There are 3 types of fences you can construct: hedges, bocage or walls.  You
can build these in any clear area.  Each type of fence will hinder sheep,
and has an associated maintenance cost.  Hedges are cheapest to maintain,
but also the easiest for sheep to destroy.  Walls are the most expensive,
but much more difficult for sheep to knock down.  (If several sheep gather
in one place, their chances of knocking down any hindrance increases, so one
goal should be to keep them as separate as possible).  Sheep will eventually
break through any barrier you set up.  Your goal is to delay them as much as
possible.

The box in the lower left shows the shape of the current wall or hedge
segment. You have to find a place where they will fit, much like a puzzle or
the game Tetris.  Place it by clicking on a place on the map.  A piece
cannot be placed if there is any blocking terrain.

You can also rotate or discard the current segment.  Rotate the piece by
pressing F7.  Press F8 to discard the current piece (this adds a slight
penalty to your score.)

Maintenance
-----------
To reduce maintenance costs, you can turn unnecessary fences into rubble.
Choose the rubble icon, then click on any pieces of fence that you want to
change.  If the herder finds the rubble, s/he can change them to clear
areas.  You can also set the herder to clear mode in which case s/he will
search primarily for rubble to clear.

Building restrictions:

      Hedges, bocage and walls can only be built in clear areas.

Too many walls will start to cost you in maintenance costs.  Walls that are
no longer needed can be reduced to rubble -- this decreases the maintenance
costs.  Use the flag to move the shepherd to the area -- he can eliminate
the rubble, reducing maintenance even more.

However, you'll also pay maintenance on fences, so you might want to break
down some fences.  Turning walls to rubble also costs, but you'll save
eventually through decreased maintenance costs.

MAP CONTROLS
============
Scrolling
---------
Use the right mouse button to scroll the map in any direction.  Use the
global map function to quickly jump to any area on the map, or just to see
the overall view.

Rotate map
----------
You can turn the entire map by 90 degrees in either direction, using the F5
and F6 keys.  This sometimes is helpful to see behind taller terrain types.
The global map is always shown with a northern orientation, though.

Show grid
--------
The F2 key or Grid button displays a grid on the map.  This helps in
placement of terrain, since it shows the base of a wall or hedge segment.
The grid remains in place until you scroll off, or call the global map.


SCORING
========
Difficulty determines both number & activity of sheep, and relative payoff
for a win.  That is, you will score much higher if you win a more difficult
game. Difficulty also influences the chances that sheep will be able to
break down your fences.

Your score changes every 5 seconds, based on both what you do, and what the
sheep do.  You gain points when you can delay the sheep -- you get more
points the closer they are to the western border.  Any sheep that escape via
the eastern border cost you points, based on the time that they escape and
the difficulty.

Various bonuses are calculated, depending on the difficulty and ending
conditions.  Your score can decrease tremendously at the end.

If you quit early, a penalty is assessed.  This is roughly the amount that
it would cost if all the sheep escaped.

Maintenance
-----------
Each type of fence carries a maintenance cost.  To reduce maintenance costs,
you can turn unnecessary fences into rubble.  Choose the rubble icon, then
click on any pieces of fence that you want to change.  If the herder finds
the rubble, s/he can change them to clear areas.  You can also set the
herder to clear mode in which case s/he will search primarily for rubble to
clear.



DETAILS
=========
These sections are furnished for players who wish to know a little more
about the innards of the program.  You don't need to read any of this to
play the game.

Starting positions: (in order of relative difficulty and increasing bonus).

      Clumps     -- start in tight clusters
      Edges      -- start along the left edge
      Random     -- distributed randomly on left side

The starting position determines the bonus factor applied at the end of the
game.  This varies from 25% for clumps to 75% for random.


Time is used for scoring purposes -- the longer you delay the sheep, the
more points you earn.

SHEEP:
---------
You can't control the sheep directly.  They will tend towards the eastern
edge of the map to escape.  You need to build fences to delay them, and use
the shepherd to herd them back.


HERDER
-------
When the shepherd contacts sheep, he herds them to the west.  He also clears
up rubble (reducing maintenance costs).  You can indicate where you want him
to move by placing the flag in any clear area.   The shepherd will move
towards the flag.

Hall of Fame
------------
In the hall of fame (HOF), scores are kept by difficulty, map, and date. You
can also enter your name.

If you want to clear the HOF, enter the DOS command:
      DELETE *.HOF

If you want to edit the HOF, you can remove individual lines, using any text
editor.  However, you should be sure that the first line of the file shows
the current number of entries.

CUSTOM MAPS
-----------
You can modify any of the maps, using an ascii editor.  Each map must
consist of 40 rows of 60 characters each.  Each map must have a border of
o's.  Other symbols used are:
      # = wall
      n = hedge
      h = large hedgerow
      @ = bush
      & = tree
      ~ = water
      = = deep water
      % = rubble
      ' = planter floor

You can also make new maps from scratch, and substitute them for existing
maps by copying the old map to a temp file and renaming your new map.

Registered users will also receive additional maps. If there is enough
interest a map editing utility may be added in the future.

***************************************************************************
*                    REGISTERING SHAREWARE                                *
***************************************************************************

Shareware is a means of distributing software.  Under the shareware concept,
software may be freely copied and passed along to others, or distributed
through bulletin board systems or national networks.

As a recipient of a shareware program, you may use the software for a short
trial period to determine if it meets your needs.  If the software is not
suitable, then you can discard it. If you decide to use it, you must pay by
registering.  When you register a Cascoly shareware program, you receive:

      * A copy of the latest version of the program
      * A bonus of any other Cascoly program of equal or lesser value
            (see REGISTER.FRM for details)
      * A free introductory account on CompuServe including a private User
        ID number and password, $15 introductory usage credit, and a
        complimentary subscription to CompuServe Magazine, - a $30 value!
      * A minimum of 90 days online support via CompuServe or by
        telephone.  Support by mail is also available, if accompanied
        by a SASE.
      * You will also receive bonus maps

To register a program, enter the following command:

      COPY REGISTER.FRM LPT1:

and the order form will be copied to your printer.  Check off the program
you wish to register, and check the program you wish to receive as a bonus.

Cascoly Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you.
If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member
by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP
Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. You can contact
the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve
message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536