1,000+ Great Games/1_1000 Games.iso/GAMES_1/BLOOD.ZIP/BLOOD.DOC

Text File | 1994-01-26 | 12.7 KB | 253 lines

                   BloodThirsty Version 2.0 Documentation

                               By Dale Bertrand

        BloodThirsty is a shareware game.  This means you've been given a
chance to review it before you pay.  Feel free to give copies to your
friends and upload this game onto BBSs as long as you are distributing
all six files listed below.  Pease use the DESCRIP.DOC file when uploading.

 Blood.exe     - the main executable file
 Blood.doc     - this file
 Register.doc  - registration info
 Descrip.doc   - description of the game
 000.map       - first map file
 001.map       - second map file

        If you are missing any of these files you have an incomplete copy
of the game.  For information on recieving a complete up-to-date registered
version with extra goodies see the last section in this file.  Also, you
may have an older version of the game.  The best way to get the lastest
files is to register.


REQUIREMENTS

        VGA monitor and a mouse.


ABOUT THE GAME

        A description file is provided for use when uploading.  BloodThirsty
is a VGA 256 color risk-style strategy game with some important changes.
The object of the game is to conquer every "state" on the map.  You do this
by placing armies and attacking enemy territories.  Every time you win a new
territory you'll be awarded $10, which can be used to buy more armies or
attack/defense strength.
        The game can be played Human vs. Human, Human vs. Computer or
Computer vs. Computer.  Two map files are distributed with this shareware
version.  The game is simple to learn with a lot specifics left for you
to modify if you desire.  For a greater challenge try your luck against the
Super Computer or "Hide" the armies from view and play a blind war.


INSTRUCTIONS

        MENU- To reveal the menu at the top of the screen press the right
mouse button.  The use of the menu options is explained below.

        NEW GAME- Before a game begins the New Game screen will ask
you to enter some information about the game you wish to play.  In this
screen you'll be able to change the nature of the players (Human or
Computer) and their colors.  When you've made your selection click the
left mouse button on -PLAY- at the bottom of the New Game window.  To
choose a Human player press on the stick figure and to choose a computer
player press on the litte computer.  Your current selection will be
highlighted with an arrow above it.  To choose the color you'd like to
play click on one of the two color bars.  The current color for each player
is displayed in the rectangle in front of the player's name.

        PLACE ARMIES- When the box to the left of the screen tells you to
place armies do so by pressing the left mouse button on the current number
of armies on the territory you wish to place one army.  The game will not
respond unless the mouse is on or near the number inside the territory.
Each territory can hold up to nine armies.

        BONUS ARMIES- You're awarded extra armies on top of the base number
of armies you recieve at the beginning of each turn if you control a whole
continent.  There are four different kinds of continents ranging in size
from 2 to 13 territories each.  The following is a table of Bonus Armies
awarded based on which size continent you own.  If you control more than one
continent add the Bonus Armies for those continents.

 2 territories - 1 bonus army
 8 territories - 2 bonus armies
10 territories - 3 bonus armies
13 territories - 4 bonus armies


        ATTACK- To attack first highlight the territory you wish to attack
from by clicking on the number inside that territory. Then pick a territory
bordering the one you just highlighted and click on the number inside that
territory for one attack.  It may take several attacks to win or lose a
battle depending on the number of armies involved.

        BUY- You'll recieve $10 every time you win a new territory.  Your
current total will be displayed in the calculator at the top left of your
screen.  When it is your turn press the -BUY- button at the button left
of your screen.  This will bring up the buy window.  Here you can buy
armies by pressing on the zero to the left.  The number in this box, which
should contain a zero to start off, represents the number of armies you've
purchased this turn.  When you exit this screen you'll place the number of
armies in this box on the game board. The cost of $15 is subtracted for
every army you buy.  Attack and Defense strength can be purchased by
clicking the left mouse button inside one of the two horizontal boxes at
the bottom of the screen.  $2 is subtracted for each attack or defense
strength point purchased.  To exit this window press the right mouse
button or on any part of the screen not in the buy window.  You will only
be allowed to buy once per turn, so use it wisely.  Computer player can
not buy.

        FORTIFY- This option is used to shuffle armies around to other
territories.  You can only fortify once per turn and can move any of your
armies to any territory you own.  First select the -FORTIFY- option at the
bottom left of your screen.  You will then be instructed to fortify and
press the -DONE- botton when finnished.  Now you can click the left mouse
button on the armies you want to move and the screen will instruct you to
place those armies where ever you like. When finnished click the left mouse
button on the -DONE to the left of your screen.


        END TURN- Click the left mouse button on this option when you've
finnished all your moves for this turn and would like to pass control of the
game over to your opponent.  If you're playing the computer sit back and wait
for him to finnish his turn.  When playing a human it's time to let go of the
mouse and give him/her a turn.


MENU

        The menu at the top of the screen can be called by pressing the right
mouse button.  Here lie the options that give the game its seamingly infinite
possiblies.

        GAME MENU- In the game menu resides three options.  The first of
which is the -BLOODTHIRSTY- option.  This displays information on the title
and version of the game you're playing.  The second option -NEW GAME- brings
up the New Game screen which is used to enter the nature of the players
(Human or Computer) and their colors as explained above.  Lastly the
-EXIT GAME- option should be used to quit to DOS.  A box to the left of the
screen will ask you if you are sure you'd like to quit.  Clicking the left
mouse button on the yes box will quit the game.  Any other mouse action will
send you back to the game.

        OPTIONS- Here the first option is the -SLOW COMPUTERS/FAST COMPUTERS-
button.  The computer is capable of making his moves so fast you can't tell
what he's doing.  This can slow him down.  This option will change according
to current game settings.  If the game is currently set to play fast
computers the OPTIONS menu will only offer you the option to change this to
slow computers and if the game is set to play slow computers this will offer
you the option of changing it to fast computers.  Sometimes this setup can
get confusing.  The best thing to do is just press this button a couple of
times and watch how it changes.  It's a neat trick when you understand it.
The second option in this menu is -MAP FILES-.  This option allows to change
the map to be played.  When the map file is changed during a game the change
will not go into effect until a new game is started.  When the Map Files
screen is on, highlight the name of the map you'd like to play and press
-OK-.  The -MORE- button will switch to the next page of map files if you
have more than ten.  Lastly the -MORE MAPS- option brings up information
about how to register and recieve 10 more map files.

        PLAYER- It's important to know all the options in this menu modify
the how the Human player plays the game.  None of these options will take
effect until the next game is started.  -HIDE ARMIES/SHOW ARMIES- is a
changing button that will allow you to set the human player's armies to
invisible and then back to visible.  Try an invisible game for a greater
challenge.  The -ATTACK- button is used to set the starting attack strength
for the Human players.  Attack strength and Defense strength are taken into
account by the computer whenever there is a battle. The player with the
highest strength has an advantage based on the difference between the two
strengths.  For example a high Attack strength attacking a low Defense
strength has a statistical advantage and a low Attack strength attacking
a high Defense strength is at a disadvantage.  The -DEFENSE- button sets
the Human player's Defense strength for the start of the game. These
strengths can be changed for a price during the game in the buy window.
-STARTING ARMIES- lets you change the number of armies the Human player
will place at the beginning of the next game.  -ARMIES PER TURN- will let
you set the base number of armies to be placed at the beginning of each turn.
To this number will be added any bonus armies for controling whole
continents.

        COMPUTER- All the options in the Computer menu modify how computer
players play the game.  Anything changed in this menu will take effect
at the beginning of the next game.  The -HIDE ARMIES/SHOW ARMIES- button
will make all the computers armies invisible to you.  When attacking a
territory controled by a computer player you will not know how many armies
you're attacking.  This makes for some very interesting situations.
The use of the next four options is similar to the use of their counterparts
explained in more depth in the Player menu section.  -ATTACK- will change
the starting attack strength for the computer player and -DEFENSE- will
change the starting Defense strength.   -STARTING ARMIES- AND -ARMIES PER
TURN- will set the number of armies given to the computer to start and the
base number of armies to be placed each turn.  The -AGGRESSIVENESS-  button
sets the aggressiveness of the computer player.  The computer's
aggressiveness can range from 1 to 10 and is used to determine how many times
the computer will attack in one turn.  The computer's -INTELIGENCE- will
determine how well it can place its armies.  The higher the inteligence the
better the computer will be at identifying and dealing with "hot spots" and
territories it needs to win the game.  One click of the -SUPER COMPUTER-
button will set the computer's attack, defense, starting armies, armies per
turn, aggressiveness and inteligence to their highest possible levels.  This
creates a seemingly unbeatable computer.  It may be necessary to tone down
some of the computers attributes after pressing this button or maybe
increase some of your own to make it fair.


HINTS FROM THE AUTOR

        When playing the Super Computer make the computer be the second
player so he doesn't have a chance to take you out of the game before
you get your first attack!
        Use your Buys and Fortifies wisely even if you press these buttons
by mistake you'll have to wait until your next turn to use them again.
        Try playing a friend with the Human players on "Hide Armies".
See which of you is the better general with their eyes closed.
        Set up a tournament with several human players and a computer.
Make sure everybody plays everybody and keep track of who ends up with
the best record.
        Please write to us with any experiences you have with the game
good or bad.  We may include them in this section of the documentation!


FUTURE POSSIBLITIES

        This game can go in many directions.  In future versions you may
see tournament play, support for more than two players, multiple
backgrounds, modem play, moving backgrounds, digitalized sound, larger
maps, more and more map files, special forces, cities and disasters.
        Most of all we'd like to consider your ideas.  See the next
section for information on contacting us.


CONTACTING US

        To contact us with any comments or problems you have please use the
following address.  Registration for BloodThirsty v2.0 is a only $7.  The
money will help us offset overhead and shipping costs.  Please refer to
to the file REGISTER.DOC for more information.  If this file is missing you
can still register to recieve a complete up-to-date version of BloodThirsty
with 10 extra map files by sending the registration fee to the below
address. (Specify 3.5" or 5.25" disks) (Make checks payable to Dale Bertrand)

    BloodThirsty
  c/o Dale Bertrand
    14 Vernon St.
 Hamden, Ct 06518 USA

Compuserve- 72237,761

Thanks for playing the game. -Dale