Attention!!!!!!! WallRunners™ is shareware! It costs $5.00 USD.
Please see the registration info below or in the game itself. Thank you!
Table Of Contents
• Introduction
• What's The Story?
• An Overview Of The Game
• Default Controls
• Menu Items
• How Much Does WallRunners™ Cost?
• Full Registration vs. One-Shot Registration
• Your License
• Distribution Information
• About Cinnamon Computer Products™ and Cinnamon GameSoft™
• Compatibility
• Version History
• BugZappers Hall Of Fame
• Legal Information
Introduction
Thank you for giving WallRunners™ a try! You'll find that it's an insanely simple and addictive game that you can't stop playing! This is Cinnamon GameSoft™'s first game, and is a perfect example of our theory of 'Evolutionware'. Cinnamon Soft™'s software starts out simple, and evolves through user input into something really great, while maintaining the simple, efficient feel of the original version.
For those of you who have tried (SuperBike) v1.2, you're in for a pleasant surprise. The basic, tried-and-true gameplay is the same, but v2.0 has been completely rewritten from scratch. The old version was simply a 5-minute hack; it was barely functional, didn't pass events, and sometimes froze up. Version 2.0 alleviates all of these problems. There is a complete interface and a variety of gameplay options, and being a respectful application, it doesn't crash. (Nothing is impossible, but I have yet to see it)
There have been improvements in every way, which you will notice once you start playing. The keys do not repeat, so you can't kill yourself by being a slow-typer anymore. The gameplay itself, although it looks identical, was completely rewritten using a different method, which smoothed it out, greatly improved the control, and eliminated the famous 'criss-cross' bug. You can define your own control keys if you don't like the defaults. There are many more subtle things you'll notice.
What's The Story?
WallRunners™ actually has quite an amazing story, which we are able to bring you through the miracle of time-travel. You see, since most of the WallRunners™ story hasn't happened yet, we've actually travelled to the future and brought back for you an exerpt from a widely-recognized book of the time, which details the entire history of the WallRunners™ phenomenon. Sounds cool? To read this amazing story, please open the document entitled "What's The Story? (WallRunners)" in the same folder where you found this document. It's a fun read!
An Overview Of The Game
The basic principle behind WallRunners™ is of two players going head-to-head, riding on computer-generated bikes called WallRunners™. The WallRunners™ go very fast, turn at right angles, and most importantly, wherever they go they leave a wall. To win a game, you must be the first to entrap your opponent and make her crash into a wall.
Each player gets one missile (unless Strict Play is selected) which, if used effectively, can give each one a single chance to get out of trouble. Firing a missile clears away a 10-pixel radius around the player's WallRunner™. Learning to wield the missile with skill is one of the keys to becoming an expert WallRunners™ player.
Both players start out centered vertically in the playfield window. Player 1 starts in the center of the left half of the playfield, going toward the right. Player 2 starts in the center of the right half of the playfield, going toward the left.
If you played (SuperBike) v1.2, you may have tried the computer player and found it to be quite easy to beat. In fact, it only had two possible actions to take: it turned randomly; and if it ran into a wall, it turned a random direction. Well, needless to say, all you had to do was stay out of the way and before long it would box itself in. But all that has changed with v2.0. The all-new computer player algorithm actually pays attention to what is nearby, and makes every attempt to avoid boxing itself in. It has virtually no strategy at all, but on the other hand, unlike human players, it practically never makes mistakes. Because of this fact, I have found it to actually be quite a challenge. At first, it is difficult to beat, but after some practice I can beat it over half the time. The human loses because he or she makes a mistake, while the computer generally doesn't.
Default Controls
Player 1: Turn Counter-Clockwise - D
Turn Clockwise - F
Fire Weapon - A
Player 2: Turn Counter-Clockwise - K
Turn Clockwise - L
Fire Weapon - Apostrophe
Menu Items
Apple Menu
• About WallRunners™…
Shows the WallRunners™ information window
• About Cinnamon GameSoft™…
Shows the Cinnamon GameSoft™ information window
File Menu
• New Game
Immediately starts a new game using the current settings
• Quit
Quits the WallRunners™ application
Options Menu
• One Player
Sets the number of players to one (P1 vs. COM)
• Two Players
Sets the number of players to two (P1 vs. P2)
• Strict Play
If checked, there are no weapons
• Fill Screen
Only enabled on monitors larger than 640x480. If checked, the playfield window will take up the entire screen, making for a much longer game. If unchecked, the standard-size window will be used.
• Allow Background Events
If checked, Macintosh events will be passed during gameplay. If you want to play while other things are happening on your computer, you must check this option. If you are not working on any other tasks in other programs, leave this option unchecked, because any background processes will take time away from WallRunners™ and gameplay will be choppy and difficult to control. Also, any windows that the system puts up during the game will wipe out part of the playfield and could ruin your game.
• Reset Scores
Resets the scores displayed in the Results window. The all-time stats kept by the program, such as the game number displayed in the playfield window's title, cannot be cleared.
Register Menu
• Registration Info…
Displays all the info about the registration process, including your current registration status (unregistered, pending, or registered)
• Register Now… (unregistered status only)
WallRunners™ asks you all the relevant info, then generates a unique registration form for you. You may print it out and mail it with your payment, or save it to disk as a text file and email it to me. I would prefer receiving it via email, so that I know to be expecting the check in the mail, but either way is just as good. The email option is also quite handy if you do not have a printer!
• Complete Registration… (pending status only)
After you send in your registration and payment, you will receive a unique Registration Code. Choose this menu item and enter your RC to complete your registration.
• Export Registration Data Again… (pending status only)
Once you have entered your registration info, if something happens to the printout, you may need to make another copy. This routine will print an exact duplicate for you.
• Cancel Registration… (pending status only)
Be careful using this command. It will ask you for confirmation. The only reason you would use this command is if, after filling out the registration info and printing the form, you were to decide not to send it in after all. Remember, you are obligated by law to pay for it if you keep it, and that after a time, the program will eventually shut down until you pay for it.
How Much Does WallRunners™ Cost?
A Full Registration (explained in the following section) for WallRunners™ costs $5.00 USD. If sending cash, fold the registration form around it, and always use security envelopes. The same goes for checks. Sorry, but credit cards are not accepted at this time (I'm working on it).
Foreign residents, including Canada: At this time, I cannot accept checks in foreign currencies, nor can I accept credit cards. Please send a check or money order which is payable in US Dollars.
I REPEAT: DO NOT SEND CASH INTERNATIONALLY, except from Canada. MONEY ORDERS MUST BE PAYABLE IN US DOLLARS, and CHECKS MUST BE DRAWN ON A US DOLLAR ACCOUNT.
You are allowed to use the software for a trial period of up to 30 days. At or before the end of the trial period, you are required to Register and pay for the software. If you fail to register the software and continue to use it, it will give you timely reminders, and over a period of time, it will begin disabling features to encourage registration. Regardless of how long you have been using the software or how much of it has been disabled, you are welcome and encouraged at any time to register the software. Registering will fully unlock and re-enable the software, without regard to any length of time or amount of previous usage of the software.
Full Registration vs. One-Shot Registration
Cinnamon Soft™'s standard Registration Policy is as follows: The money you pay toward registering one particular version of a program is also applied toward future versions of the same program. What this means, is that, for example, if it costs you $5 to register this version, and later on, a new version is released which also costs $5, your same $5 is applied toward the new version as well, meaning you can become a registered user of the new version for free. In another example, if the price of the new version was increased to $10, your original $5 would still apply toward it; you would be asked to pay an additional $5, making the total of $10, to register the new version. We feel this is the fairest way to maximize your value-per-dollar. Unless noted otherwise in the documentation, this policy applies by default to all Cinnamon Soft™ software.
Thus, a Full Registration is granted when you pay the requested price, or more, for a program, and unless specifically noted, this payment applies toward the price of future versions as well.
A One-Shot Registration is granted when you do pay for the software, but you pay an amount less than the requested price. In other words, if we ask for $5, but you feel it is only worth $3, then please send us the $3, and we will grant you a registration for that version only. Your payment will not apply toward future versions. We feel this is the fairest way for both parties, when you are willing to pay but you don't feel it is worth the full requested amount.
Send Registrations and all correspondence to:
Cinnamon Computer Products
Attn: Cinnamon GameSoft
Dusty Kothenbeutel, Owner
410 W. Meadow Lane
Marshalltown, IA 50158-5113
or Email: dustynk@aol.com
Your License
By filling out the Registration Info and sending it, with payment, to Cinnamon Computer Products™, you are granted a license to register one copy, and to use your registered copy for entertainment purposes, on one computer. You may not attempt to duplicate the registration info, the registered copy of the software, the registration code, et cetera, for any purposes. The software has built-in anti-piracy protection; even if successful, such actions are strictly forbidden and illegal.
The Registration Code you are given is unique, and is only valid for the one copy which generated the original Registration Form. It will not function with any other copy of the Software. The Registration Code is encrypted using a proprietary method, which is keyed to your copy of the program. Do not attempt to decode or modify the Registration Code.
At any such time as you have need for a new Registration Code, including and not limited to the following: as a result of renaming, reformatting, accidental deletion, or similar damage to your hard drive; or accidentally cancelling the Registration process; you will, at the discretion of Cinnamon Computer Products™, be issued a new Registration Number. You may not share any Registration Number with others.
Distribution Information
This version of WallRunners™ is shareware, and may be freely distributed through the Internet, online services, and BBSes, so long as the software package remains in its original, complete, unaltered, and unregistered form. Except as detailed below, the software package may not be "published", separately or as part of a collection, via disks, CD-ROMs, or other forms of computer media without written permission from Cinnamon Computer Products™ (Dusty Kothenbeutel). An email response from Dusty Kothenbeutel, granting you permission to include, qualifies as written permission.
In the following cases, permission is granted ahead of time, and you do not need to seek written permission to "publish" (as defined above) the software package:
1. If you have obtained adequate permission for any previous version of the software package, and you did not make payment to Cinnamon Computer Products™ to obtain such permission.
2. If you send a FREE copy of the complete collection/product, as it will be sold or distributed to the public, including all supporting and accompanying materials, to Cinnamon Computer Products™ at the above address.
3. If you publish a magazine which includes a CD-ROM, disk, or other computer media, as a component of or as an accompaniment to the magazine. (such as MacAddict, Official PlayStation Magazine, etc.)
About Cinnamon Computer Products™ and Cinnamon GameSoft™
Cinnamon Computer Products™ (CCP™) is owned and operated by Dusty Kothenbeutel, based in Marshalltown, Iowa. Through its two divisions, CinnaByte Internet Services(SM) and Cinnamon Soft™, CCP™ provides the very best in quality internet services and useful software. Come visit us at http://members.aol.com/dustynk/ccp
Cinnamon Soft™ is the software division of CCP™, dedicated to producing simple, yet highly useful and thoughtful software. Games and entertainment software are released under the Cinnamon GameSoft™ label. Our products currently include Cinnamon WebMaster Suite™, a specialized HTML text editor for Mac OS with many useful features, and WallRunners™, "The Simply Challenging Game™". Both are shareware, and both support our theory of "Evolutionware", where a program starts out simple and evolves through user input across a number of versions. Come visit us at http://members.aol.com/dustynk/cinnamonsoft
CinnaByte Internet Services(SM) offers the very best Web Site Development that you can find anywhere, and for an affordable price. In addition, we offer a variety of free services and information, including: CinnaByte's MatchSticks(SM) Free Online Personals (the largest personals network on the internet); CinnaByte's alt.MatchSticks(SM) Ultimate Free Online Personals for All Tastes & Lifestyles; free Trivia Blitz! Java games with valuable weekly prizes; an online bookstore (coming soon); Feature Articles over a variety of topics; and much more. Come visit us at http://members.aol.com/dustynk/cinnabyte
Compatibility
WallRunners™ requires Mac OS System 7 or higher. It should work with any computer setup. Please send me a report if you encounter any problems, and get your name listed in the BugZappers Hall Of Fame!
Version History
• 1.0 - April 10, 1996
* First Version. Took about 15 minutes to write and debug. Works pretty well. Written to keep us entertained during high school lunch hour.
• 1.1 - April 24, 1996
* Added weapon, custom icon, and this Read Me file.
• 1.2 - April 13, 1998
* First publicly-released version. Notice the date difference... I finally decided to add a one-player mode. It's been nearly two years since I graduated high school and I was bored with no one to play against. Also, the program doesn't quit after each game anymore.
• 2.0 - February 20, 1999
* Completely rewritten - it's a real application now, not just a little hack - with menus, event-handling, a Mac-like interface, etc.
* Name is changed from SuperBike to WallRunners™, to avoid conflicts or confusion with motorbike racing, and games based on that sport
* Added a Results window for displaying the scores and end-of-game results
* Strict Play option disables the missiles
* All-new computer player is much smarter - no strategy, but nearly flawless - very difficult to defeat
* The criss-cross bug was removed when the game loop was rewritten from scratch. Yes, I miss it too.
* You can now specify your own control keys if you don't like my defaults. Also, all keys (except Caps Lock) can be selected, including modifier keys, function keys, arrow keys, and the extended keyboard keys.
* Added full preferences file and statistics tracking features
* A complete built-in Registration routine makes it easy and convenient to register, to encourage as many people as possible to do so
* A number of Easter Eggs have been hidden in the program
BugZappers Hall Of Fame
Here is your chance to be famous! Report a new and unknown bug, and get your name listed in the Hall Of Fame! Ties are listed in alphabetical order.
1) Great! No bugs yet! Your name could be listed here!
Legal Information
Cinnamon Computer Products™, Cinnamon Soft™, Cinnamon GameSoft™, CinnaByte Internet Services(SM), Cinnamon WebMaster Suite™, CWMS™, WallRunners™, "The Simply Challenging Game™", and all logos thereof, are trademarks and/or servicemarks of Cinnamon Computer Products™.
All other products, names, and companies mentioned in this document are the trademarks, registered trademarks, or other property of their respective companies.
