1,000 Games/Disc1.iso/ARCADE/PROG18/SPISEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1994-04-12 | 18.9 KB | 377 lines

THE SPISPOPD EDITOR v1.0
By Mike Hommel
A Jamül Software Production
---------------------------

WHAT'S INSIDE?
--------------

[1] Hi there, welcome to SpisEdit
[1.0001] Some Basic Stuff
[2] The Main Screen
[3] The Image Editor
[4] The File Menu
[5] The Options Menu
[6] GIF256/Victory/Etc.
[7] The Player
APPENDIX A: TERRAIN
APPENDIX B: BADGUYS
APPENDIX C: MIKE WANTS MONEY

[1] HI THERE, WELCOME TO SPISEDIT
---------------------------------

  Well, first of all let me say I'm glad you've shown an interest in creating
your own Spispopd levels.  In the hopes that it'll become a widespread inter-
national passion, I've gone to all the trouble of making a nice mouse-driven
editor for this game.  To pay me back, you can do either of two things
(preferably both):

   1> Give me MONEY (See appendix C for more on this)
   2> Make THOUSANDS of levels so that they have to open a whole directory
      just for Spispopd Levels on every major ftp site in the world.

  Okay, well, I just dropped in to say hi, and now I guess you can go ahead
and read the documentation, convoluted though it may be, and then edit away.
But who am I kidding?  You've probably had the editor for a week already,
since you've finally settled down to reading the docs.  Don't worry, all those
questions you've got are answered in here somewhere.  If you can find them.

[1.0001] SOME BASIC STUFF
-------------------------

  Thought I'd let you know some important facts.  A Spispopd World, which is
what this editor allows you to make, is a set of eleven levels.  The last one
is secret of course, and can only be accessed if Bouapha steps on a secret
block.  Each level has up to three floors (technically they all have three
floors, but you don't have to use them all).  Each floor can have up to
fifty enemies, fifty generators, and fifty items.  Each level must have one
launchpad (or more).  The launchpad will be usable once Bouapha has collected
all the candles from the level, and killed all enemies that are worth candles
(generally what one would consider a "boss").

[2] THE MAIN SCREEN
-------------------
  Click at the title screen, and you'll see the main screen.  The editor
starts with DEFAULT.SLF loaded. The 26 boxes on the left side are used to
show a list of terrain types, monster types, or item types, depending on
what mode you're in.  Clicking on one of these pictures during normal
operation selects it as the current "tool" (represented by an oddly
flashing box on top of it).  The six buttons with little icons on them, in
the middle of the screen, are the main buttons.  The first one, with a disk
on it, is the file menu.  Next to that, the candle picture, is to enter item
mode (the button for the mode you are in is always lit up), where clicking on
the map will place one of the highlighted item on that spot, and put ItemFlr
underneath it (Bouapha can ONLY pick up items that are on ItemFlr).  The
button next to that (red X) is delete.  Clicking or dragging on the map in
this mode will remove any items or foes that are on the square you click on.
It will however leave the square as ItemFlr if there was an item there.
  The second row of buttons starts with Terrain Mode (the tree symbol), and in
this mode, you place the highlighted terrain on the map by clicking.  However,
in this mode you can drag across the map to place multiple terrain.  Note that
you can only have fifty squares of Generator terrain.  The "G" next to these
buttons represents the number of generators on the current floor.  Next is
Enemy Mode.  In Enemy Mode, clicking places the highlighted enemy on the map.
This makes no allowances for enemies stuck in walls, etc., so you've got to
keep track of that yourself.  If you mess up, just delete the badguy and put
it somewere else.  The last button is for the Image Editor, which is described
below.
  Along with these buttons is a display area.  There is a "G" with a number
next to it.  This is the number of generators on the current floor.  The
number next to the "I" is the number of items on the current floor.  There
is a max of 50 for both of those.
  Then come the arrows.  The purple arrows move through the floors of the
current level.  The red ones move through the levels of the world.  Don't
screw up and start editing the wrong floor.  The display next to the arrows
shows the current floor, a dash, and then the current level.  Level 10 is the
final level, and level 11 is the secret level.  Floor 1 is where Bouapha
starts on every level, and it is the top floor of that level.
  Next to this display is an odd button with a picture of Bouapha's head.
This button is used to set the starting point, marked by a big white X.  Note
that it can be set from any floor, and can be seen when editing any floor, but
only applies to the first floor of the level.  To set it, click on this button
then click anywhere on the main map display.  The X will appear where you
clicked.
  Next to the head icon is an "O" button.  This button brings up the Options
menu, which is described below.
  The last button is "Q" for quit.  Click it when you're done, and have your
work all saved and everything.

NIFTY TRICK:
  press Shift-F, and then click in the upper portion of the screen (the big
display area).  This will fill the current floor of the current level of
the world with the highlighted terrain.

NIFTY TRICK II:
  press ALT-C, and then click in the upper portion of the screen (the big
display area).  This will copy the current floor of the current level to
all other floors and levels.  Note that it only copies the terrain, and not
items or monsters.

[3] THE IMAGE EDITOR
--------------------

  The image editor has four handy-dandy buttons across the top.
  The first is "C" for copy.  Click on it, then click on the terrain image
in the lower left of the screen that you want copied to the image you're
currently working on.  Clicking elsewhere cancels the copy.
  The second button is a big red X.  This fills the image with the currently
selected colour.
  The third looks like a disk.  Clicking on it will display RESULT.256,
whatever that may be (and if RESULT.256 has a different palette than SPISPOPD
the picture will appear really messed up), and if you move the cursor around,
a 10x10 block under the cursor will be lit up (or just funky-looking), and if
you click at this point, your current picture will look just like the block
highlighted.  If you click below the picture, in the main menu area, you will
exit from the picture sucker without destroying your current picture.
  The fourth is a Q.  It quits the image editor.
  Under these buttons is a box full of colour gradients.  Clicking anywhere
in here makes the current colour be whatever is under the cursor.
  Clicking on the zoomed-in version of the picture will draw in the current
colour.  The normal size version of the picture is visible in the lower-left
of the screen.
  If you click in the lower-left portion of the screen, the terrain picture
clicked on will be the current picture to be edited.
  The big list of words under the image editor is the type that this terrain
should be.  See Appendix A for the terrain definition info.

[4] THE FILE MENU
-----------------

  This is a very simple menu.  Click on the name displayed to type in a new
one (no extension please).  Click on Load to load the named file.  Click on
Save to save under the given name.  Click on quit to get back to editing.
  If Load or Save is clicked, there IS NO CONFIRMATION!  Don't accidently save
crap over your best work.  You'll know a load or save worked if the file menu
goes away.  If you try to load and it plays a sad noise at you, then the file
doesn't exist.

[5] THE OPTIONS MENU
--------------------

  These are some global options you can set for your world.  An option is
turned on if it is lit up white.  Click on Quit to get out of this menu.

Animate Genrtrs-
  If you have two Genrtr terrain types in a row in your list, you can have
  this option on to make it animate between them whenever a pumpkin is being
  created.
Animate Tporters-
  Turn this option on to make teleporters animate in the same way.  The
  teleporters on your map will randomly wiggle between the two pictures
  if this is on.
Animate Slides-
  If you want slides (S-Left,S-Right,S-Up,S-Down) to animate in the same
  way mentioned above, make sure you've got them in pairs, and turn this
  option on.
Tporter Type-
  When this shows a blue fireball type thing, Bouapha will teleport in the
  famous "water-drop" style.  When it shows a hole in the ground, Bouapha
  will sink into the ground and pop back up elsewhere when he teleports.
  Experiment if you don't know what I mean.
Choose Std. Pumpkin-
  If you click on this, then you must click on an enemy picture in the
  lower-left.  Whatever you click on is what will come out of generators.
  Some creatures, such as water ones and bosses, are not a good idea, but
  are still perfectly acceptable.

[6] GIF256/VICTORY/ETC.
-----------------------

  Along with this editor a small utility is packaged called GIF256.EXE.
It will prompt you for the filename of a GIF you want to convert into
my space-wasting, but easy-to-use, 256 format.  This is an old program I
wrote, so it isn't too exciting in terms of interface.  If you give it a
valid filename, it will flood the screen with a bunch of numbers and then
say "Made It!" (kinda stuck on the end).  Now a file called RESULT.256 exists
that looks just like the GIF named.  Whatever is in this file is what the
Image Editor will load automatically when you enter Picture Sucking mode.
  But there's another use!  If you copy this picture to the same name as your
World file (.SLF), but with the extension .256, it will be displayed when the
player beats your world.  The traditional Spispopd credits are always shown
after the picture.  (for instance, OLDULTMA.256 for my OLDULTMA.SLF file)
  By the way, as a cool added special bonus, a GIF of all the original
Spispopd terrain graphics is included.  You are encouraged to take advantage
of this to more rapidly create your own levels.  The process of using them
in your levels is simple:  from DOS, you run GIF256, tell it you want to
convert ORIGINAL.GIF, then run SPISEDIT.  In Spisedit now, when you choose
the Picture Sucker from the Image Editor, it will show you these graphics.
Click on the one you want.  The other special amazing bonus file is WIN.GIF,
which is simply the default win picture, and you are welcome to use it in
all your SpisWorlds if you don't feel artistically inclined.

[7] THE PLAYER
--------------

  If you want to test your level, or play something someone else made, get
back to DOS, and type SMASH <filename> to play.  For instance, if you want
to play the Oldultma world that comes with this editor, type "SMASH OLDULTMA".
All the wonderful old cheats still work, and gameplay is the same as always.
I was gonna add some new badguys, but I have better things to do.
  The Smash command allows other parameters too:

  SMASH filename genrate gamespeed

  Genrate is the rate (from 0-200) that pumpkins are generated. Note that 2
  is standard.  So 100 and above are truly horrid.
  Gamespeed is the speed of gameplay (from 0-255).  The default, and the
  setting I use, is 235.  Adjust it accordingly for your computer.

It's a good idea to use the included batch file (SM.BAT), and modify the
gamespeed value listed to be whatever you want for your computer.

APPENDIX A: TERRAIN
-------------------

The terrain types are listed below.  Also note that "Std. Flr" may be selected
for any ONE terrain type in the game.  This terrain is the one that will:
  A> show up after a generator is destroyed
  B> appear when a pushy block is pushed
  C> appear when an item is taken
  D> appear when a door is opened
  E> appear when an explody or explod2 block explodes
It can of course be any type, but Floor is recommended.

Floor  - anyone but water creatures can walk on it
Wall   - Nobody can walk on it, and only green seed bullets can pass thru it
Breaky - Will be replaced by what follows it in the terrain list if it is
         hit by a hammer, snowball, or energy blast
Pushy  - If Bouapha walks into this, it will be shoved aside, leaving
         Std. Flr behind
Launch - the launchpad, every level must have one
Water  - only the serpent, his body parts, and sea pumpkins can walk on this.
         Bouapha drowns if he steps on it.
Ice    - slippery floor
Door   - An obstacle that can be shot through, and Bouapha needs a key to go
         through it.
LadrUp - Takes Bouapha up one floor.  Badguys can't walk on it.
         Note that up means DOWN numerically (up from second floor is first)
LadrDn - Opposite of a ladder up.  Please make these correspond exactly with
         the positions of your ladders up.  It makes it so much more real.
Tportr - Will send Bouapha to any other Tporter on the screen, totally at
         random.  If "Animate Tporters" is on in the Options menu, then there
         should be two tporter terrain types in a row in the terrain list for
         the game to flip through when it animates. Badguys can't walk on it.
Hole   - Badguys can't walk on it, but if Bouapha does, he dies by being
         sucked in.
S-Left - Badguys are unaffected by it, but it'll push Bouapha to the left if
         he stands on it.
S-Right- Moves Bouapha to the right.
S-Up   - Moves Bouapha up.
S-Down - Moves Bouapha down.
Secret - Badguys can't walk on it. If this is stepped on, Bouapha will be sent
         to the secret level (level 11) along with some cool music.
Space  - exactly like water, except when Bouapha steps on it, he flies off and
         explodes.
ItemFlr- Badguys can't walk on it, but otherwise it acts just like Floor.
         However you MUST have this in your terrain list to put items on
         your maps.
Genrtr - Only badguys can walk on it.  This is the stuff that pumpkins come
         out of.  If "Animate Genrtrs" is on in the Options menu, then there
         should be two generator types in a row for the game to flip through
         when it animates.
Lava   - Again, exactly like water and space, but if Bouapha steps on it, he
         burns up.
Explody- New to this editor.  It is a wall- but if a generator adjacent to it
         is destroyed, it will explode, chain-reaction style, turning into
         whatever is Std. Flr.  Try it out.  Look at the default level for
         an example (1st level, 2nd floor).
Explod2- Like explody, but can be walked on.  Neither explody nor explod2 can
         hurt anyone when they explode.  These are used for the generators in
         Hell.

APPENDIX B: BADGUYS
-------------------

  Badguys are listed as Name:HitPoints, and then a brief description of their
activity.  This list is in the same order as the display of enemies in the
editor, so use it if you're not sure which is which.  If an enemy is worth
a candle (that is, must be killed to pass the level), it has a B (for boss)
after its hit points. Anything listed as 0 hit points is invincible. Any
aquatic enemy will have a W after its hit points.

NOTE: Centipede body parts MUST be placed on the map BEFORE the Centipede
     Head they are intended to follow, or they will drift offscreen and cause
     the game to crash, or at least mess up royally.

Baby:1          - random movement.
IceBaby:1       - random movement.
RedBaby:1       - random movement.
CylonBaby:1     - random movement.
NomadBaby:1     - random movement.
FunkyBaby:1     - random movement.
EvilBouapha:50B - A dark Bouapha, semirandom movement.  Rapidfire hammer toss.
BigOrange:5     - splits into two babies when killed. slow, random movement.
Yeti:50B        - Snowball throwing, semirandom movement.
Smog:20B        - VERY fast.  Sometimes tracking, usually random movement.
PumpkinWorshiper:7 - random movement.  Major damage.
CentiHead:20B   - semirandom movement. If killed, and is being followed by
                  CentiBody parts, then the next body part will become a
                  head.
CentiBody:0     - follows CentiHead.
Serpentail:0W   - totally random movement.  Can't hurt Bouapha, and will die
                  when any SerpentHead on the screen is destroyed.
SerpentBody:0W  - Just like a tail, it is not a meaningful part of the game,
                  just window dressing, and will explode when the Serpent is
                  killed.
SerpentHead:50WB- Spits semiguided green seeds.  Moves randomly.
Spider:200B     - Fires a Chaingun of semiguided energy blasts.  Shatters into
                  fifty lesser pumpkins when killed (babies of all types and
                  big oranges).  Semirandom movement.
Huge:200B       - Vomits up baby pumpkins. Slow, random movement.
Mutant:100/100B - When "killed" once, the glass on its containment tank
                  shatters and the mutant inside can be seen.  It then
                  spits out purple globs at Bouapha.  It doesn't move.
Chef:200B       - Throws pumpkin pies.  Semirandom movement.
Squash:2        - voracious trackers.
Robo:50         - Shoots energy blasts.  Slow, tracking movement.
SeaPumpkin:8W   - Shoots green seeds. Semirandom movement.


APPENDIX C: MIKE WANTS MONEY
----------------------------

  Enough of this informative crap, it's time for some begging.
If you like this software, and indeed, it would seem you enjoyed the original
enough to download the editor, then you are SUPPOSED to send me US$5.00. This
is a horribly tiny sum of money.  I assure you, cheaper software is not likely
to be found!  It's nearly frightening how little money I'm asking for.

  Now, if you are such a chinsy skinflint pennypinching tightwad that five
measly bucks seems like too much for you, then I'd like you to know that I'd
also appreciate it very much if you just sent me a really cool postcard from
where you live, or go to school, or even someplace you've never been.  Yes,
I would consider that to be paying the shareware fee, as long as it's just
plain IMPOSSIBLE for you to manage five lousy clams.  But if you are just
being chinsy and not sending me my money, then at the very least spend a
quarter and SEND ME A DANG POSTCARD!  I want just one simple postcard.  Is
that so much to ask?

Of course, if you had paid the $5 for SPISPOPD originally, I would consider
your debt to me paid.  But NOBODY has, so I guess that's not a situation we
even have to consider, is it?
(AMENDMENT: Henry "FAQmaster" Gabryjelski has paid, and I feel so rich!)

Make all checks payable to Mike Hommel
(you really foreign people can try to send cash, but like everybody else
says, there's no guarantee it'll get to me, but then again, you'll still have
sent it, so I guess your conscience will be eased either way)

My address until June:

Mike Hommel
Sierra Madre 14H
Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo, CA 93410-2000

My address thereafter:

Mike Hommel
16420 Martincoit Rd.
Poway, CA 92064