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WHACK.TXT
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1996-09-12
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Whack-A-Mole for OS/2!
----------------------
This is my OS/2 interpretation of a carnival game called Whack-A-Mole.
The original was a board with some holes in it. Mechanical "Moles"
would briefly stick their heads out from a random hole. The player
had to whack the mole with a mallet before it returned to its hole.
I have taken license with some of the features. Rather than being
limited to four or five holes, these moles have the freedom to
appear anywhere on your screen, even on top of one another. If you
are opposed to whacking moles, and have the appropriate bitmaps handy,
whack Bob Dole, your boss, or Barney the Dinosaur instead. Whack-A-Mole
is SHAREWARE. Please read the registration information in this document.
Thanks for trying Whack-A-Mole!
Installation
------------
Simply copy the executable and dll to whichever directory you want,
create an object for it on your desktop, and start banging away. The
first time it runs, Whack-A-Mole will create a file called Whack.ini in
the same directory as the executable. A high score file, whack.hsc will
also be created.
The Controls
------------
Number of Moles: This control will let you adjust the number of moles
in a game, from ten up to 1000. The default is 22.
Speed: This control lets you adjust the frequency at which moles
appear.
Restore Defaults: This controls restores the default number of moles
and default speed.
Start Game: I think this one is self explanatory.
Stop Game: Ditto.
Settings...: This brings up the Settings notebook. The notebook
currently has two pages.
Notebook Page 1: This page contains bitmap options and a preview
of the currently loaded bitmap. The name of the
current bitmap is displayed at the top. Buttons
allow you to change the bitmap or restore the
default bitmap.
Notebook Page 2: This page contains sound effect options. The name
of the current sound effect is displayed at the
top. Buttons allow you to change and try out
sound effects, and restore the default effect. A
checkbox allows you to disable the sound.
If you don't have multimedia installed or don't
have a sound card, the options on this page will
be disabled. If you have multimedia AND a sound
card supported by OS/2, and the options are
disabled, it's a bug. Please let me know about
it.
In addition to the notebook pages, the Settings dialog has
three buttons. Defaults, Save, and Done. Defaults will
restore the default bitmap AND the default sound effect.
Save will save the current bitmap and sound options, and
Done will dismiss the notebook.
High Scores: Displays the 10 best scores achieved. In the high
scores dialog box, you have the option to clear the
high scores. I placed this button far from the Ok
button to make it more difficult to hit by accident.
About Whack-A-Mole: Displays the support and copyright information for
Whack-A-Mole.
Quit: Another one that needs no explanation.
The Play
--------
Simply adjust the above-mentioned controls as desired, and hit the
start game button. As moles appear in random locations on the screen,
you must whack them as quickly as possible. The titlebar of the main
window will keep track of the number of moles created thus far in the
game. If you don't want to play all the way to the end, simply whack
the moles covering the Stop Game or Quit button, and click on said
button. All the moles will disappear, and the game will be over.
The Scoring
-----------
I had a rough time deciding how to score this, but finally decided to
award 4 points if the mole is whacked in under 1/2 second, 3 points if
you get it in between 1/2 and 1 second, 2 points between 1 and 1.5
seconds, and 1 point up to 2 seconds. After that, you get zero points.
Each of these scores is weighted by the speed at which you are playing,
from 1 up to 11. So, the maximum score you can get for any given mole is
44 points. At the end of the game, if you've made it into the top 10,
you'll be given a chance to enter your name (up to 32 characters). The
top 10 high scores will then be displayed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Future Plans
------------
German language support is sort of in the works, as I know a bit of
German. If you want to see other languages, then you'll have to translate
for me.
I have already received input from testers regarding new features they
would like to see. They said:
* Use a second bitmap, so that when you whack the mole, it changes to
a bloody mole or something. I actually have the bloody mole bitmap, but
need to add the code.
* Allow the player to use different mouse cursors.
* Animate the mouse cursor, so that the mallet looks like it's swinging.
Performance is a priority, so I will weigh the performance hit of any
new features before deciding to add them. If there are any new features
that you would like to see, feel free to contact me. I'll be much more
likely to add the features if you are a registered user ( see below ). I
am also interested in ideas for new projects. If there's something you
want for OS/2, contact me about it. I'm still coming up to speed on OS/2
programming, but I'll be happy to give it a try.
Please email your suggestions and bug reports to
erlkonig@randomc.com
Known Bugs
----------
None. Finally.
Registration
------------
This is my first piece of shareware, and my first real bit of PM coding.
Don't cause me to become disillusioned with the shareware concept. If
you like the game, you must register it after 14 days. The cost is only
$5.00 US (check or money order only, for your safety), sent to:
Matthew Wagner
PsychoSemantic Software
1122 RIVA RIDGE DR
NORCROSS GA 30093
If you provide me with your email address, I will acknowledge your
registration and keep you informed of updates. There are no missing
features or nag screens in the shareware version, so your only
motivation for registering is a clean conscience. Your registration is
valid for all future shareware releases of Whack-A-Mole. If a large
wealthy company buys the rights from me, you're at their whim.
License and Disclaimer
----------------------
By using this software, you agree to the following terms.
Whack-A-Mole is not free. The shareware version of Whack-A-Mole is
licensed to you to try for 14 days. At the end of that period, you
must register the software or remove all copies from your system.
Upon registering, you are licensed to install Whack-A-Mole on as
many computers as you desire, provided only one copy will be in use at
any given time. You may freely distribute Whack-A-Mole, provided you
distribute the entire archive, original and unmodified, including this
documentation. You may not alter, disassemble, or otherwise reverse
engineer Whack-A-Mole.
If you are dissatisfied with Whack-A-Mole, I will be happy to refund
your registration fee. There are no other warranties, express or implied.
The author and PsychoSemantic Software are not responsible for any damage,
direct or indirect, caused to your computer, productivity, or anything
else by this software. This software is not warranted to be free of bugs.
This software may not be used for military purposes. It may be used by
military personnel for nonmilitary purposes only.
History
-------
1.01 Sept 12, 1996 Fixed path bug
1.0 Sept 2, 1996 Initial Release
About the Author
----------------
I received my BS in Mathematics from MIT in 1993, and my MS in Applied
Mathematics from the University of Arizona in 1995. I program in C on
OS/2, MVS, AS400, and Windows NT for FormMaker Software, Inc. I'm writing
OS/2 shareware on the side to help pay back my large college debt.
Thanks
------
A short list of those I'm indebted to.
* Andy Key, for releasing his excellent GBM source to the public domain.
* Whoever wrote BITMAP32 and published the source on the DevCon cd's.
* The guys at FormMaker software, for testing this stuff and ragging me
when it didn't work.
* Mike Compton at FormMaker, for drawing my bitmaps.
* The authors of all the excellent OS/2 software, for setting a great
example.
* Everyone who registers Whack-A-Mole and helps support further OS/2
development.