1996 Top Games/96topgames.iso/96topgam/dos/twinblok/readme.doc

Text File | 1996-07-02 | 24KB | 896 lines

This file is 'readme.doc'

Please read this file before calling
708-257-1224 for tech-support!
Tech-support is available for REGISTERED
customers of TwinBlok only.
----------------------------------------
Note:  If reading this file from the
Webfoot readme file viewer, use

Cursor up / down to scroll
or
Page Up / Page Down  to scroll fast

ESCape, Enter, or Space to exit
----------------------------------------
Copyright 1996
Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This program is shareware, or 'try
before you buy'.  It is NOT public
domain.
----------------------------------------
IMPORTANT!  Does TwinBlok fail to load?

If the screens goes blank after you see
the Webfoot logo screen and TwinBlok
will not load, either YOU NEED TO LOAD
THE EMS DRIVER or YOUR SOUNDCARD HAS NOT
BEEN CONFIGURED CORRECTLY!

The problem is most likely that you do
not have enough memory.  Place this line
in your CONFIG.SYS file (see the MS-DOS
manual for more information on EMS
memory and CONFIG.SYS):

device=c:\dos\emm386.exe RAM

For Windows 95 users:  the 'emm386.exe'
file will most likely be located in the
directory 'c:\windows\command\' instead!
If you are running Windows 95, you will
modify the CONFIG.SYS file by clicking
the 'Start' button and then selecting
'Run'.  Type 'sysedit' and click the
'Ok' button to modify your CONFIG.SYS
file.

To setup your soundcard, you must run
the TwinBlok SETUP program and either
choose 'No Sound', or choose the correct
soundcard in your system and choose its
correct address, DMA, and IRQ numbers.

Please refer to your system's manuals or
your soundcard's manuals to determine
the address, DMA, and IRQ numbers.

Failure to setup your soundcard
correctly may cause TwinBlok to crash!
----------------------------------------
IMPORTANT!  You don't hear any sound?

If you tried to choose your soundcard,
but still hear no sound, check the
following:

1.  Have you chosen the correct sound-
card and address, DMA, and IRQ numbers
in the TwinBlok SETUP program?
2.  Is your volume turned up, speakers
plugged in and powered up?
3.  Do you have a soundcard?
4.  Are you inside a vacuum?

Chances are, you have a SoundBlaster
Soundcard, and your address is 220,
your interrupt is 5, and you're using
DMA channel 1.  So you'd want to place
the following actual text in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T1

By adding this line in AUTOEXEC.BAT, it
will help the TwinBlok SETUP.EXE
program detect your soundcard.  Of
course, if these settings are wrong,
SETUP.EXE may detect the wrong card!
----------------------------------------
What's in this file?

I. TwinBlok Ordering Information
II. TwinBlok Instructions


SECTION I
TwinBlok Ordering Information

----------------------------------------
1.  Why Register?
2.  USA Orders
3.  Germany/Switzerland/Austria
4.  Scandinavia (also Finland/Iceland)
5.  France
6.  Australia and New Zealand
7.  All Other Countries Orders
8.  Other Webfoot Games
9.  More About Webfoot Technologies
10. Legal Stuff
----------------------------------------
1.  Why Register?

Even more great graphics, music, and
sounds:

50 total 1-player levels
25 total 2-player levels

(For a grand total of 75 levels)

Printed manual with hints, tips,
and secrets (manual may not be
available in France)

Complete, easy setup instructions
and troubleshooting information

Attractive package with high density
disk

Eligibility for TwinBlok Global High
Score Hall of Fame
----------------------------------------
2.  USA Orders

Toll Free (ORDERS ONLY!)
1-800-4WEBTEC
(1-800-493-2832)
Visa MasterCard Discover
American Express

Price:                        $29.95
Add Shipping and Handling:     $4.00

Or, send a check, cashiers check, or
money order to:

Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 15
Lemont, IL  60439

FAX Orders to:
708-257-0942
IMPORTANT:  After August 3, 1996  our
area code changes, so call 630-257-0942

(Your FAX should contain:
Card number, card holder's name, and
expiration date.)

Questions and Tech Support
708-257-1224
630-257-1224 After August 3, 1996!

Or, fill out the form in the
TwinBlok directory. It's named:
ORDER.DOC

Contact Webfoot on the Internet:
[e-mail]

Visit our web site:
http://www.WebfootGames.com/
----------------------------------------
3.  Orders in Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland

Ticsoft
c/o Juergen Egeling
Waldstr. 49
76133 Karlsruhe
Germany
Phone: [phone]
Fax.:  [phone]

Or from Germany
Tel.: [phone]
FAX.: [phone]

http://www.ticsoft.de/

Preis DM 39.90
Vorauskasse:            Plus DM 8.05 f.
Porto und Verpackung
Nachname                Plus DM 14.50
Europ. Ausland: Nur Vorauskasse
Euroscheck              Plus DM 13.80
----------------------------------------
4. Scandinavia (Including Finland and
Iceland)

Twilight Zone Software
P.O. Box 115
1712 GRAALUM
NORWAY

Price:                      159,- NOK
Plus handling and shipping:  29,- NOK

We accept orders the following ways:

1. Bankgiro for Norwegian and Swedish
customers.
Norway: Account no. 1090.21.09973
Sweden: Bankgiro no. 5986-6970

2. VISA card by FAX to [phone].
Your fax must contain: card number,
card holder's name, expiration date,
authorizing signature of the cardholder
and the order-form.

3. VISA card by Mail.
Send the same as above (2.) to TZS by
mail.

4. Money Order or Cashiers check payable
to Twilight Zone Software in either
Norwegian kroner (NOK), or local
currency.

The order-form must always be included!
----------------------------------------
5.  France

Vous pouvez vous procurer la version
finale de TwinBlok avec ses 75 tableaux
et de nouveaux graphismes contre un
chèque de 99 Francs à l'adresse
suivante:

TLK GAMES
BP 24
81150 Florentin
France
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

----------------------------------------
6.  Australia and New Zealand

Spectrum Pacific Publishing
Level 1
30 Carrington St.
Sydney 2000
Australia

Phone: [phone];  24-hour
automated ordering service only
Fax:   [phone]

Pay by check, money order or credit
card (MasterCard, Visa, Bankcard)

Price: $34.95 (AUD) plus postage:
        $4.95 for Australian orders,
        $5.95 for New Zealand orders
----------------------------------------
7.  All Other Countries Orders

All other foreign orders can be taken
by Webfoot Technologies, Inc.

US Dollars only, credit card and money
orders only ... no checks.

Add Shipping and Handling:     $10.00

International Phone:
1-708-257-1224
1-630-257-1224 after August 3, 1996!

International FAX Orders:
1-708-257-0942
1-630-257-0942 after August 3, 1996!

(Your fax should contain:
Card number, card holder's name, and
expiration date.)
----------------------------------------
8.  Other Webfoot Games

H2O

A mind-teasing original.  FORTY levels
of graphics and mind jarring music.
Guide falling droplets to a drainpipe
at the bottom of the screen.  You won't
BELIEVE the smooth scrolling playfield!
It's not as easy as it looks, either.
Each level is a new puzzle.  H2O runs
under DOS and requires a standard VGA
graphics card.  Sound card is optional,
strongly recommended.
----------------------------------------
D.R.O.D.: Deadly Rooms of Death

A real 'killer.' More news in the
obituary columns. (Evil laugh)
In order to complete a level, Beethro
must destroy all of the monsters and
find the exit.  When all nine levels
have been cleared, Beethro will collect
enough money from King Dugan to retire
from the thankless dungeon
extermination trade and open a
restaurant.  'I'll call it Beethro's
Roasted Roach Grill!'
D.R.O.D. runs under Windows and
features detailed graphics and an
awesome MIDI sound track.
----------------------------------------
Interpose

Fulfilling the Webfoot promise of
incredible graphics and music, Interpose
is a stunningly fast scrolling action
game.  The action - and that DOES mean
action! - takes place in space.  Shoot
3D enemy ships while conserving energy
and fire-power.  Over 18 levels packed
with great graphics, music, and
animation.
----------------------------------------
Farocar

A strategy game with 200 mind-bending
levels.  Includes 3 different choices
of difficulty per level and a full level
editor.
----------------------------------------
Tronic

Another arcade classic brought to your
home PC.  Multiple levels of great VGA
graphics, sound effects, and music.
----------------------------------------
Hopy-ONE

In the year 2013, seven of the
Planetariums decided to initiate a plan
to eradicate the F.L.V. (Fast Line
Virus), the deadliest strain of mutating
virus in the galaxy.  The virus caused
total population decimation on 17
Astrocolonies.  No survivor of the
dreaded virus was reported.  A team of
researchers assembled to obtain a sample
of the F.L.V. and devise a vaccine
against it.  Professor Jonathan Silt was
one of the team members sent to the
dying colonies.  He spent 13 years on an
intergalactic base, and was infected,
while learning about the infection of
F.L.V.  The bio-droid, HOPY-ONE, was
created in a laboratory Silt had set up
to research the virus.  Silt was
cryogenically frozen in 2026.  HOPY-
ONE's mission was to collect samples of
the virus to aid in the production of a
vaccine.  The fate of Silt, who waits in
cryosleep, and the fate of the entire
universe, rests with HOPY-ONE.
----------------------------------------
Keep an eye out for other Webfoot games
available through usual shareware
channels.
----------------------------------------
9.  About Webfoot Technologies, Inc.

If you have a great game you'd like
published, or if you're an aspiring
programmer, 3D renderer, artist, or
musician who would like to work on some
games, please contact us!

Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 15
Lemont, IL  60439
1-708-257-1224 VOICE
1-708-257-0942 FAX

IMPORTANT!  After August 3, 1996 call
1-630-257-1224 VOICE
1-630-257-0942 FAX

http://www.WebfootGames.com/

e-mail: [e-mail]
----------------------------------------
10.  Legal Stuff

Copyright 1996
Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
----------------------------------------


SECTION II
TwinBlok Instructions

---------------------
Within this file:

Cursor up / down
to scroll
or
Page Up / Page Down
to scroll fast

ESCape, Enter, or Space
returns to DOS.
----------------------------------------
System Requirements

- 80386sx or higher
- 1 Meg of memory
- VGA graphics card
- MS-DOS (or DOS shell in Windows)

Optional

- Joystick or mouse
- SoundBlaster, SB 16, SB Pro, PAS,
  PAS+, PAS 16, Gravis Ultrasound,
  Windows Sound System or Aria sound
  cards
----------------------------------------
The plot...

Why save the universe?  Better worry
about saving your butt!  The Time
Spinners do not look kindly on failure.
They'll yank your status, terminate your
entity, and zap you into the netherest
of the nether regions.  Your journey
begins when Executive Time Spinner
(ol' T.S., you know) drops you
ill-prepared and poorly armored into the
fray, to fight off everything the
Razerrians ...antiquated holdouts from
the Snarr Sector... can drop, kick or
throw at you.
Blast through their defenses, traverse
the 50 levels of time blocks they'll
use to impede your travel.  They'll
tantalize you with pictures from your
home planet, hurl you through space,
instead of merely time, and dazzle you
with nefarious patterns reminiscent of
the arcades in the Neo-Draconian Sector
in a celebrated age long past.
If you need help, attempt the two-player
screens with someone you like.  Or hate.
It's no cakewalk.  Some of the time
blocks are deceptive.  So what if you
fail?  So what, indeed!
----------------------------------------
Before you start

First, run SETUP in the TwinBlok
directory!  Remember, TwinBlok is a DOS
program.

To get going, run the TwinBlok SETUP
program.  This program assesses your
system as you have it configured, and
establishes your preferences for the
game.

Be sure you configure TwinBlok and your
computer for maximum enjoyment.  If your
computer is an older one, you can still
enjoy the game, but you might have to
experiment a little with changing some
of the options to lower the load on the
system.

TwinBlok will take whatever computer
system you feed it, as far as is
possible, and configure itself
accordingly.  If you don't get sound, or
the mouse doesn't work, however,
there's probably something about your
computer's memory or other configuration
that you need to deal with before
running TwinBlok.

For example, many people have multiple
I/O cards such as serial ports, parallel
ports, network boards, joystick ports,
sound cards, CD-rom controllers, etc.
All such devices appropriate one or more
of the computer's 'interrupts' for
themselves, and read from or write to
specific locations in memory.  If any of
these conflict, your system will give
trouble, plain and simple.  You might
not know anything is wrong, however,
until you try to play music, accept
input from the joystick and mouse, and
perform awesome (ahem!) feats of
graphics at the same time - like
TwinBlok!

Options
-------
TwinBlok automatically turns off (puts
a giant red 'X' through) any options
which your computer hardware or its
configuration doesn't support, in the
'Setup' menu from within the game.  The
following discussion will help you
figure out what is missing or configured
incorrectly.

To listen to the music, you need to have
special 'EMS' memory enabled in your
computer.  This is accomplished by
editing your 'CONFIG.SYS' file - which
is loaded by the computer on startup.
There are many ways to add EMS to your
computer's bootup configuration, but you
can't add it after the computer is
booted - it must be done during the
CONFIG.SYS startup procedure, which is
the first thing that happens when you
turn on the computer.  So, if you have
to add EMS to your computer, you must
reboot before you'll hear the music.

Your CONFIG.SYS file should contain a
line that looks like this:

device=c:\dos\emm386.exe RAM

The last word 'RAM' is the important
one.  You can add this line by yourself
on most computers, but some computers
will hang if there other parameters
aren't also included.

If you have trouble adding this command,
you can use a program named MEMMAKER,
which will automatically add this line,
along with a bunch of other parameters,
relocating TSR and device drivers that
can live in high memory.  This way you
have the required EMS, plus more free
conventional memory.  In short, this is
the easy way for most computers.

If you are using Qualitas Software or
Quaterdeck memory managers, the EMM386
stuff doesn't apply to you.  The
equivalents are 386MAX and QEMM386
respectively.  Both products come with
an install program, with which you just
select EMS, or set EMS to 'YES'.

Windows 95(TM)
--------------
If you are running Windows 95, you will
add EMS in a different way.  First, you
modify CONFIG.SYS by first choosing the
'Run' option from the Start Menu, and
typing 'sysedit'.  Note that on systems
running Windows 95, EMS will most
probably be located in a different
directory than 'C:\DOS\'.  Most likely,
you will find the new EMM386.EXE in
'C:\Windows\Command\'.  However, this
may vary depending on your specific
computer's setup.  Refer to Microsoft's
Window 95 documentation for additional
instructions on loading the EMS driver.

Sounds and music
----------------
The following sound cards are supported:

Gravis Ultrasound (TM)
SoundBlaster (TM)
SoundBlaster Pro (TM)
SoundBlaster 16 (TM)
ProAudio Spectrum (TM)
ProAudio Spectrum Plus (TM)
ProAudio Spectrum 16 (TM)
Windows Sound System (TM)
Aria sound card (TM)

TwinBlok's incredible music requires, of
course, a sound card and the previously
discussed EMS memory.  Here are some
additional pointers for getting the most
out of some specific sound cards.

If you're using a Pro Audio Spectrum
family sound card, be sure you have the
card's driver specified in the
CONFIG.SYS file.  It's best if you can
set the card's DMA channel to a 16-bit
DMA (5, 6, 7).  The sound will work with
an 8-bit DMA channel, but it won't sound
as good.  Okay, okay, it'll sound really
awful.  Sixteen-bit sound requires a
16-bit DMA channel, so there.

With all sound cards, including Sound
Blasters, it's better to have
environment strings defined in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT.  The reason is that on
some systems, the hardware detection
process can fail or hang, and when it
does, you're stuck.  The string
definition should look something like:

BLASTER=AHHH IX DX TX

That one's for the Sound Blaster
family.  Gravis UltraSound would look
something like:

ULTRASND=XXX,X,X,X,X

(Where the 'X' represents some number
that belongs in this position.)

Any sound card not mentioned in the
SETUP program might still work, but the
users must set it up to emulate Sound
Blaster or some other card mentioned in
the SETUP program.

Defaults
--------
All this is dreadfully confusing, isn't
it?  Okay, the best thing to try first
is to take all the defaults.  If your
system is fairly vanilla, then TwinBlok
will detect everything and present its
opinions for your approval during the
setup process.  Simple.  If it doesn't
work, then dig into the manuals, using
this information as a guide for where to
look.  The most common problem is
multiple cards overlapping use of DMA
channels and interrupts.

Mouse, Joystick, Keyboard
-------------------------
TwinBlok automatically detects most
mice, joystick, and sound card
configurations.  Just use the Setup menu
to select from the available options.
An 'X' means the option is not
available.  If you see a big red 'X'
over hardware that you really do have
in your system, check your hardware
configuration and installation.

If 'mouse' is not listed as an available
option when you run the program, the
problem is probably that you should
load your mouse driver before starting
TwinBlok.  Many computers depend on
Windows to implement the mouse driver,
and the driver isn't available to DOS
applications when run that way.  Most
computers have a directory named 'MOUSE'
or something similar which contains the
driver - usually available by typing the
command:

MOUSE

or something similar ('MMOUSE' on some
systems).  You'll have to refer to your
system's documentation if you do not
know where your mouse driver lives.

If you have a joystick plugged into a
joystick port, TwinBlok will detect it.
Joystick ports are usually available on
most sound cards.  Some systems will
have more than one joystick port, and
these ports may conflict with one
another, causing problems with TwinBlok
and other games.  Be careful about
system interrupt and DMA channel
conflicts!!  These are the most common
problems.

If all else fails, you can always play
TwinBlok with the keyboard.  Use the 'A'
and 'Z' keys for player 1's controls,
and if in team-player mode, player 2
can use the semi-colon and comma keys.

Windows(TM)
-----------
TwinBlok will run under Windows(TM) 3.x
and Windows 95(TM), but you won't get
sounds and music.

If you'd like to hear sound, you MUST
shut down Windows 3.x or Windows 95(TM)
and run TWINBLOK.EXE from DOS!!!

A .PIF file is provided so you can
simply double-click an icon to start
TwinBlok from the Windows interface, if
you prefer.  This icon will cause
Windows(TM) to shut down, re-start your
system, and run TwinBlok in DOS mode,
so you'll hear all the great sound
effects and music.  Just look for the
MS-DOS icon called 'Wintwin' and
double-click on it.
----------------------------------------
Everything set up? Now for...

TWINBLOK GAME PLAY  (Finally!)

The blocks

No use rapping on and on about an old
favorite game, but the basic plot is:
BLAST IT!  When you hit the blocks, they
explode, disappear, change your
launchpad into something more (or less!)
functional, or alter the 'ball' in some
beneficial - or nefarious - way.

The worst of these is the dreaded
smiley.  The smileys don't do anything.
The ball metamorphoses into a cute,
fluffy, and USELESS tennis-ball-like
blob, and won't work on any of the
blocks until it turns back into a blue
piece.

Some of the blocks put a nasty spin on
the ball, and there's a magnetic block
that does exactly what you'd like it NOT
to do.  You can also add spin to the
ball by striking it on the move - just
like with table tennis.  The longer the
ball is in play, the faster it moves,
and the less time you have to hit it.
Some effects are controlled by a timer,
and will revert to their previous state
if you can outlast the time clock.

Strategies

Each level in TwinBlok is a puzzle.
Every level has been tested (by bleary-
eyed zombies) for winability.  It IS
possible to complete all the levels.

Before you launch the ball in any level,
take a look at how the blocks are
arranged.  Sometimes it might be more
beneficial to concentrate on one area to
break through into the 'back forty' of
the level's blocks.  Sometimes, it's
better to blast head-on into the blocks.

Two-player mode

To enjoy TwinBlok with a friend, go to
the Setup screen and select the inputs
you wish to use.  They do not need to be
identical.

In Two-player mode, saves (and losses),
and multiple-ball episodes, are twice as
much fun, and it's only half as
difficult to win.

You can also play two-player mode with
one person!  Just select the SAME input
device for both players in the setup
menu.
----------------------------------------
The Credits

Programming
Krister Karlsson

Graphics
Dana Dominiak

Music and Sound Effects
Jason Brotherton

Additional Coding
Pascal Pochol

Additional Art
Robert J. Dominiak

Music System
DSMI by Otto Chrons (C) Virtual Visions

Game Design
Krister Karlsson

Publications Editor
Jay A. Gross

ANSI Artist
Jon Shiring


Produced and Directed by
Dana Dominiak


Germany/Switzerland/Austria Distribution
Juergen Egeling Computer

Scandinavian Distribution
Morten Eriksen, Twilight Zone Software

French Distribution
Jean-Michel Martin, TLK Games

Australia/New Zealand
Benjamin Slabak,
Spectrum Pacific Publishing


Marketing
Brian Smolik
Mike Speyer
Martha Hauck

Beta Testers
Dan Wright
Erik Hermanssen
Thierry (Thierryierier) Grenier

Special Thanks To:

Christine Chan
Jonas Lewinsson
Debra Osborn
Pierre Maloka
Bonnie Smolik
Brendan Larson
James A. Stephens
Susan Dominiak
Jim Renz
Erin and Doug Dominiak
Peep the Bird
All people who are not politicians
The Toxic Zombies
----------------------------------------
Try this popular demosite:
ftp.cdrom.com /demos

Look for the Toxic Zombie's demo
'UNDEAD'
as well as some Twilight Zone demos
----------------------------------------
This program is shareware, or 'try
before you buy'.  It is NOT public
domain.

TwinBlok(TM) is a trademark of Webfoot
Technologies, Inc.  All other trademarks
are the properties of their owners.

Copyright 1996
Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
----------------------------------------
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Hit ESCape to return to DOS.