- - - - - TUROID 1.20 - - - - - Copyright (c) 1994 by Jason Truong Jason Truong 12167 Achilles Street Norwalk, CA 90650-1824 U.S.A. Internet: truong@wintermute.fullerton.edu - - - - - SHAREWARE Turoid is a shareware. This game is freely distributed provided that it is distributed in its original, unmodified form with all accompanying files left intact. The distribution charges must not exceed the reasonable price of the media, shipping, and handling charges. This evaluation copy has only two levels. To order the complete copy (with 25 levels), print out the file "order.frm" and return the completed form with a Check or Money Order to "Jason Truong" at the address above. Please feel free to add any comments or suggestions in the space provided. Turoid Level Editor (TLE) is also available. The editor lets you create your own level set. To order TLE, check the appropriate box in the "order.frm" and add $5.00 to the total amount. Note: The evaluation copy of TLE does not have a "Save" feature. - - - - - INTRODUCTION Turoid is a break-out type game. The purpose of the game is to destroy all the green, orange, and white bricks on the screen. The concept is similar to other ball-paddle games, but with many different features. For example, in Turoid, you can have up to 64 balls simultaneously on the screen, bonus shoot'em up levels, and a Level Editor. In short, Turoid is like other break-out games, but DIFFERENT. - - - - - SYSTEM REQUIREMENT Turoid is graphics intensive. The faster your computer the better. Here's the minimum configuration: * 286 processor * VGA/MCGA video card * a mouse Recommended * 386sx or higher * Adlib or compatible sound cards (SoundBlaster, ProAudio...) - - - - - GAME FILES The following files should come with the game: File Description ---- ----------- * turoid.exe The game executable * tle.exe Turoid Level Editor * turoid.doc This file * score.tur Holds high score table * order.frm Order (registration) form * file_id.diz BBS description file * avemaria.mus Game score * canonind.mus Game score * nightbea.mus Game score * quentin.mus Game score - - - - - RUNNING THE GAME When you have copied all the necessary files into a directory, type "TUROID" at the prompt to start the game. When Turoid starts, it first looks in the default directory for the file "turoid.scr" to load the high score table. Make sure that you consistently start Turoid from the same directory so the high score table can be appropriately updated. To play Turoid with your custom level set, include the file name of your levels at the command line. For example, if the file name for your levels is called "mylevel.tle", type: >TUROID MYLEVEL.TLE Every level set has its own high score table and the file name that stores the high score table will be the same as the file name of your level set, but with different extension. For example, if the file name for your levels is called "mylevel.tle" or "mylevel" (with no extension), its high score table is stored in the file "mylevel.scr". - - - - - PLAYING THE GAME When you start Turoid, the first screen that you see is the Introduction screen. This screen shows the title (TUROID) and the high score table. Here you can: * Click the left mouse button (or hit Return) to start a new game. * Click the right mouse button for Help. * Press the ESC key to quit Turoid. * Press Key 1..9 to set Mouse Sensitivity with 9 being most sensitive. 5 is the default value. * S to switch sound On/Off * B to switch background snow On/Off Press the left mouse and start a new game. At the bottom of the game screen is a status bar. It shows the number of remaining paddle, the current level, and your total score. To start the level, you first position the paddle with the mouse (note that the paddle move accordingly) by moving the mouse left or right. Click * Left mouse button to shoot the ball to the left. * Right mouse button to shoot the ball to the right. The ball will bounce back against the surrounding walls except the bottom wall. You try to prevent the ball from hitting the bottom wall by catching the ball with the paddle. If there are no ball left on the screen, the paddle will die. You have four paddles for each game. If the ball hit a brick, one of the following occurs: * If the brick is green, then this brick is immediately destroyed. Green brick is the weakest brick and it only requires one hit to be destroyed. * If the brick is orange, two hits are required before it can be destroyed. * If the brick is white, three hits are required. * Yellow bricks can not be destroyed unless you have special balls (Power or Super ball, I'll explain later). * If the brick is purple, the ball inside will fall down. Try to avoid this falling purple ball. If your paddle is hit twice with these falling ball, it is destroyed. The paddle shakes after it's been hit once. * If the brick is gold, this is a special brick and many things can occur: * Four surrounding bricks fall down. Again, try to avoid these falling bricks. * The brick becomes 4 balls. * The brick becomes 16 balls. * The ball turns into a special Power ball (white ball). The Power ball destroys any brick with only one hit. * The ball turns into a special Super ball (yellow ball). Super ball is like the Power ball but it does not bounce back. It only bounces back against the surrounding walls. * A circle around the ball. Move the ball to a new location with the mouse. Click the left mouse button to release the ball. The ball is automatically released after five seconds if you don't manually release it. * None of the above happens and the gold ball inside fall down (slowly). This is the ball that you want to catch. Contained in each ball is a hidden special feature. Try to catch it with the paddle. The following are possible special features: * The paddle expands and become wider. Longer paddle makes ball catching easier. * The paddle reduces and become shorter. Shorter paddle means harder to catch the ball. * Paddle's color change to red and makes any ball that you catch stick to the paddle. This allows you to move the ball to a new location. Click the left mouse button to release any sticking balls. * Paddle changes to a laser paddle. Click or hold down the left mouse to shoot. There are two types of laser. The faster ones are harder to get. * Slow down all balls on the screen. This is helpful sometimes since each ball speed up after a certain period of time. * Reduce paddle shaking. Notice that the special ball also shakes as it falls down. Try to catch it if you've been hit by a falling brick. * Gain one more paddle (very rare). * Skip to next level (very rare). Remember that the only falling object that you want to catch is the gold ball. Although there six types of bricks, your task is to only destroy the green, orange, and white bricks. You complete the level when all of these bricks are destroyed. During the game, the following keys are active: * ESC key returns to the Introduction screen. * S key to switch sound On/Off. * B key to switch background snow On/Off. * Space Bar (or p) pauses the game. Click the left mouse button or any key to continue. * Key 1..9 to set Mouse Sensitivity with 9 being most sensitive. After you finish all levels (or you ran out of paddles), the game returns to the Introduction screen. If you qualify for the high score table, you'll be asked to enter your name in the Introduction screen. The appropriate line in the high score table will flash if you qualify. Enter your name and hit return. - - - - - BONUS LEVEL At the end of every level is a bonus level. If there are some bricks (yellow, gold, or purple bricks) remaining from the last level, they will fall down. Again try to avoid these falling bricks. After all the bricks have fallen, the paddle will change into a short laser paddle. Bonus balls will jump out from either the left or the right walls. Try to shoot them down and avoid them from hitting you. Each bonus ball will bounce five times before it self-destructs. Each bonus ball destroyed is worth 20 points. At the bottom of the screen shows you the number of bonus balls you have destroyed so far. - - - - - TECHNICAL INFORMATION This game was written using Themie Gouthas' public domain XLIB library (version 04c). Although the library is fairly complete, I made some minor changes and added some functions to fit my own need. The screen mode I used was double-buffered 320x240 mode with splitscreen at the bottom for the status bar. I'd like to thank Themie (and his contributors) for his generosity and released his library to the public. For music and sound, I used Ezra Dreisbach's FMPLAY module and Keven A. Lee's ADLIB module. Thanks very much guys. - - - - - BUG REPORT This game has been tested greatly and there should not be any bug. But if you "catch" any, please report them to my home address given above or to my Internet address at "truong@wintermute.fullerton.edu". - - - - - RELEASE HISTORY Version Date Comment 1.0 8-24-93 First release of Turoid. 1.10 9-7-93 Minor bug fixes and added musical scores for the Game Over and Congratulation screens. 1.20 1-20-94 Minor bug fixes and added more colored balls, ability to shoot ball left and right, and ability to switch background snow On/Off. - - - - - DISCLAIMER This game is provided "as is". I'm not responsible for any damages resulted from playing or using the files of the game. Please register!