Cavemania manual v1.0 - released 23.7.1995 <-----------------------------------> The Cavemania is a shareware product. Unauthorised copying, lending or modifying of this game are strictly prohibited. List of chapters <------------> 1.0 Introduction 2.0 The Game 2.1 Technical support 2.2 Instructions 3.0 Main menu 3.1 Playmodes 3.2 Controls 3.3 Playfield 3.4 Options 4.0 File formats 5.0 Shareware & Registeration 5.1 Unauthorized copying 5.2 Features 5.3 Future developing 5.4 Ordering the full version Chapter 1: Introduction The good old Boulderdash on the good old Commodore 64 was the reason to start coding Cavemania on Atari Falcon. Ten years ago the Boulderdash was very impressive and had great audio visual effects considering the resources of the C64. Basicly the game is very simple. And that is one of the reasons why it was so popular. Each cave is filled with certain elements that behave in a certain manner. Some elements are unpredictable and random, other have a simple pattern in their possible movements. The original Boulderdash attracted with its nice graphics and sound effects (like said before, for the C64 they were pretty good), smooth 50Hz scrolling, a very flexible control and high playability. Cavemania is not meant to be a pure conversion but the basic elements of the simple game are wanted to maintain. On Amiga there are several clones of the Boulderdash (Rockford etc.). Some kind of conversion with a poor scrolling is on ST, too. This release is for Falcon only, but STE version will be released in the future. Chapter 2: The Game 2.1 Technical support The Cavemania v1.0 does not fully support Falcon's hardware. The most important features are the extended graphic modes, instruction cache and a faster 16MHz CPU. This makes it easier to convert the game for STE. The game runs in 8-plane mode but some menus are in TRUE color. The blitter chip is not used; the 68030 does all the graphic operations, too. The sound system (16-bit, 25 kHz Stereo, 4+2 Channels), scrolling and the code are (mostly) 68000 compatible. 2.2 Instructions The game is pretty simple and you'll learn the tricks very fast. Anyway, here are some tips for the beginners: MUD The mud can spread only in sand and in an empty space. If you are not fast enough, the mud will selfdestruck to stones, diamonds or just disappear. By surrounding the mud by other elements that sand, you are able to change it to diamonds. BUTTERFLIES You'll get nine diamonds by destroying a butterfly and BEETLES monster. The beetles just blast away. They both react with mud or when you drop something on their heads. MAGIC WALL This wall activates when you drop something on it. The wall will stay activated for a moment or longer and you are able to turn diamonds to stones and stones to diamonds by letting the element fall through the wall. This should be enough help, you'll find the rest out while playing the game. Chapter 3: Main menu You are allowed to make some choices depending on the control device you want to use, the amount of the players and so on. When you enter the screen (main menu) where the game logo bounces in pieces from the top of the screen, use the function keys F1-10 to alter the options. 3.1 Playmodes '1 Player Continuous' is a single player solo game mode. 'Continuous' means that when you die, the entire cave keeps on living and a new man appears until the last one is eliminated or the cave is completed. This mode is very useful in the most of the caves because one mistake is not fatal. '1 Player NON-Continuous' ("respawn") is also a single player solo game mode. When you die, the cave is reset and you can start playing again in a cave with its basic settings. This mode is not as practical as the previous one, but the Boulderdash had only this mode. When you die, you'll loose everything ... '2 Players Cooperative' supports a two-player team. Both players can play with sticks but the keyboard is also available. 'Cooperative' means that the common well-being is more important that an individual success. If one player looses all the lives, the game cannot be continued. The players don't get any score when the partner killed and the hiscore ranking depends on the players' total score. '2 Players Competitive' is also a two-player team mode. This mode is similar to the previous one but the idea is to compete with each other. Dropping stones to smash the partner, exploding the exit destinations and letting monsters kill the other one are some of the useful tactics to get points. When the both players are on the same skill level, this mode is worth trying. 3.2 Controls 'Joystick #1/2', just connect the stick and start playing. Surprise, surprise: only one player can use one control. 'Keyboard', the control keys are cursor keys and the right shift (the keyboard commands and control information are also available on the information pages). 3.3 Playfield Cavern is a series of caves that are set to a certain order. You have the tools (UTILS\SCENARIO.PRG) to create either modules (.MOD) or gamefile lists (.GAM). The file you have loaded includes 1-64 caves. To play all these (or as far as you manage) select cavern as a playfield. 'A single cave'-mode is available if you want to practise a certain cave. However, the cave must be a part of the loaded cavern. You are allowed to select the cave by cursor keys. When you have finished the cave, the game is finished, too. 3.4 Options 'Start game' starts the game with the given parameters. 'Quit' (or alternatively 'ESC') quits the game. 'Load a new gamefile' (or when you first time start the game). As mentioned before, you are able to create your own scenarios including 1-64 caves. Use this option to load them. NOTE: All the files (either .MOD (modules) or .GAM (gamefile lists) must be located in the folder SCENARIO\ (for example: You have installed the game into a following path: D:\GAMES\CMANIA\CMANIA.PRG. The game ONLY locates the files in the path D:\GAMES\CMANIA\SCENARIO. This should not be a problem, if you have installed all the files correctly). Read more about the files in 'File format'-section. 'Show Hiscores'-option shows all the hiscores of the loaded module. If a gamefile list is loaded, there are no hiscores to show. 'Information'-pages have a lot of useful information you may need while playing the game. Have a look. 'Language' allows you to select a new language for the game. English, Deutsch, French, Finnish and Swedish are available. However, English is the recommended option but the decision is up to you. The translations are not literal, so you may wonder some words or expressions. After all, I'm not a language specialist. 'Demonstration' (in the demo version) is a recorded example of a way to play. 'MIDI-Net' allows a 2-players' game between two Falcons connected with a pair of MIDI cables. You are able to play full screen on both players and use two keyboards. Chapter 4: File formats Cavemania supports two own formats: .MOD (which has nothing in common with the 4-channel amiga sound modules) and .GAM. To use these files, they must be located in \SCENARIO folder. Module (.MOD) is a fully functional package of graphics data, cave information and parameters and hiscore tables. The module files are always quite large (well, at least bigger than .GAM files), because each file has lots of graphics data. Nevertheless, the module files are recommendent to use because: * they are 'all-files-in-1-package' instead of 66 files on the disk in different paths * the graphics are included (graphics files on the disk can be modified or get deleted later) * hiscore tables are automatically updated * all the caves are permanently set-together * they are easy to copy, spread and delete * they are practical in the MIDI net Gamefile list (.GAM) is an ASCII-based list of filenames. A Module file includes all the files needed, a gamefilelist includes only the names and the path information. This is the reason why the .GAM files are so tiny (hardly over 1Kb). The gamefile lists can be turned into a module at any time with the option in SCENARIO.PRG but you can use them in the game program, too. However, .GAM files are only for testing a cavern, not for a permanent use. If you delete a file belonging to a gamefile list, the whole cavern is invalid until the file is relocated again. Chapter 5: Shareware & Registeration This product is a shareware game. You get a registered version after paying a certain fee. Registered version is the latest release with all existing options available. The game is registered to a single person only. To order the game, you give some information (your name and your address). You will get your personal version in a few weeks. 5.1 Unauthorized copying 'Personal version' means that the files are encoded with several information. Each registered version is possible to identify and the author (YOU!) are responsible if your version is being copied. Atari Falcon scene is quite small. It is very easy to cause enough troubles for a pirate lamer in demos, future products and Internet. (Greez 2 da mothafuc***' Ronald v.d. Tillard, the cracker of Utopos & Stardust!, nice reputation you have, eh !?) Modifying the game files is hardly worth trying. The data is encrypted, packed and encrypted again and you can never be sure if the identification data is fully destroyed. The Cavemania is constantly updated (cave and graphics editors already exist and wait for the releasing date). If you are a registered user, you will get these updated versions at EXTREAMly low prices. An updated version won't work without a previous, original game. 5.2 Features The demo version lacks the most important features that are fully functional in the registered version. In the demo version you are not allowed to - load other scenarios (you have only one cavern to play) - use MIDI-Net All the other functions are available for you. However, when you register a legal copy with all the functions, you are fully able to enjoy the game. The registered version includes more than 100 (one hundred!!!) caves and tools for creating your own scenarios. As mentioned before, cave editors etc will be released later ... 5.3 Future developing You don't have to worry for the future of Cavemania. Updates with new options and better features will be released or if fatal bugs exist, they will be eliminated by new versions. Some new features planned for the future releases: - different types of monsters - different types of slimes - elements such as time bombs, mines and dynamite - nests for monsters - editable graphics - different tune for each level (the demo version tune is pretty annoying ...) - many, MANY other ... Atari STE version should be finnished as soon as possible. When the game is converted, there will be another demo version available. Cavemania cave editors are waiting for the releasing date. With the editors you are able to design your own scenarios, do your own cave graphics and put-together your own game modules. The editors will be released approximately in March 1996. 5.4 Ordering the full version To order the registered version, send a letter containing - Your full name - Your address (don't forget the country!) - Your internet address (not necessary) - The payment Send the letter + payment to the following address Mace of Extream c/o Markus Vartiovaara Kaavintie 17B 01650 Vantaa F I N L A N D The registeration fee is 100 Fim (Finland) $25 USD (USA) 200 SEK (Sweden) $35 CAD (Canada) 150 NOK (Norway) 15 GBP (England) 150 DKK (Denmark) 35 DEM (Germany) 120 FRF (France) 700 BEF (Belgium) Acceptable paymethods are - Cash (banknotes of any currency). Easy but risky ... - International postal order (mandat de poste international) - International cheque (mandat international). If using international cheque, add 25% to the price to cover the cashing expences. Make the cheque payable to Markus Vartiovaara The full version contains an installation disk and installing help. You will be informed about all the available updates, new products etc. Hope you like the game! Yours, Mace/Extream