Copyright 1994, 1998 Matthew Diamond, All Rights Reserved
This game is shareware. Please see accompanying file, "3d Brick Bash! WHY?" for payment information and an explanation of what shareware means.
*This update is free to users who registered for previous versions.*
Contents
------------
System Requirements
Change History
Game Play
Special Commands
Hints
Troubleshooting
System Requirements
--------------------
68020 chip or later (including PowerPC and G3).
Color Quickdraw
System 6.0.5 or later.
1,300K memory in 256-color; 800K in 16-colors.
3d Brick Bash! runs on the vast majority of Macs, including all of the color-capable models, and black-and-white machines running the extension "32 Bit Quickdraw". Only the oldest Macs, such as the 128/512k Macs, Mac Plus, and Mac SE, cannot run the game.
The recommended monitors setting for most Macs is 256-colors, though some people find the 16-color display less distracting. If the game does not feel responsive or movement is jerky, see the troubleshooting section below.
Change History
------------
1.3.1 - (9/98) Fixed uneven performance on AV Macs.
1.3.0 - (1/98) Address change, updated docs.
1.1.1 - Address change. Fixed NULL reference that caused program to halt if EvenBetterBusError was installed.
1.1 - Added targets that award special powers, points, extra balls, or skip to the next level. Changed address. Added "kinder, gentler" ball speeds option.
1.1b1 - Fix for every third level's bonuses. Ball speeds up much more.
Player can control ball speed with the mouse-button.
More levels. Player can start on a level already visited.
Display fixed when the previous game was aborted at a certain stage.
1.0.1 - Game screen is updated now after a screen-saver kicks in.
Switching to another application when a game is in progress causes game to pause and hide the window.
1.0 - General release.
Game Play
-------------------
(Note: the game contains documentation in its menus. For clarity it
is covered in more detail here.)
This game is similar to the classic game of Break-Out, where you use a paddle
to hit a ball against a wall of bricks, destroying the bricks. The main
difference is that here the playing area is 3-dimensional.
You have to keep the ball from hitting the floor by bouncing it off your paddle.
You can also direct the ball somewhat by hitting it with different areas of
your paddle (hitting it close to the edges makes it travel at a greater angle,
while hitting it dead center makes it travel straight up and down.)
Bonus points are received for finishing levels quickly and not losing any balls
on the level. Every 3 levels an extra ball is awarded.
From time-to-time, targets decorated with a letter appear on the back wall. If
you can manage to hit one with the ball, you get a special bonus depending on the
letter.
(N) - skips to next level, awarding full bonus points
(X) - awards an extra ball
(B) - bonus points are added to your score
(S) - ball turns into indestructible rubber for 20 floor bounces.
This means the ball bounces safely off the floor, and very quickly
too. This can destroy many bricks for you.
(C) - the ball is controlled by the paddle for 10 paddle bounces.
The ball still bounces up and down, but it tries to stay over the
paddle. By moving the paddle carefully you can get rid of many
bricks, especially the hard ones in the corners!
It is possible to use the mouse-button to slow down and speed up the ball.
Clicking the mouse just before the ball hits the paddle gives it an extra push,
while clicking the button, then RELEASING it just before the ball hits slows
the ball down. If your click or release is not close enough to the moment the
ball hits, there will be little or no effect.
Special Commands
------------------
Start On Level - Allows you to start a practice game at any level you reached in
a previous non-practice game. Starting a game using this command
will not earn a high score.
Clear High Scores - After asking you if you are sure, this command will clear out
the high scores. It also erases the record of the highest level
you reached in those games.
Kinder, Gentler Speeds - Makes the ball speed up less during games.
Good for practice, making the game more relaxing, or allowing
younger children to play.
Hints
-------------------
Hitting the targets, and slowing down the ball with the mouse button, both take
practice.
The ball speeds up after hitting the paddle a fixed number of times.
Getting the ball to hit bricks from above allows you to kill more bricks
without hitting it with your paddle as often. This is also the way to get
the most out of controlling the ball after you hit the (C) target. The longer
the ball stays up, the less you have to use your paddle.
The bonus targets are often quite difficult to hit. If you are not in a
good position when the target appears it may not be worth your while to
attempt hitting it. Also, some targets are less useful than others.
It is useful to slow down the ball sometimes by releasing the mouse just before
it hits your paddle. Some levels are almost impossible to finish without slowing
the ball down at least once (or, play using the "kinder, gentler speeds" option
mentioned below.)
Trouble-shooting
-------------------
HELP! THE GAME IS TOO HARD FOR ME AND/OR MY CHILDREN!
I have heard from a number of young children who enjoy the game, so I put in a menu option for "kinder, gentler speeds". (These are actually the speed settings used in the earliest releases of the game.) Turn this on and the ball will not speed up so quickly. Though this makes the game easier, you will lose bonus points because the levels will take longer to complete.
IF THE GAME MOVEMENT IS UNEVEN:
The recommended setting for many Macs, especially Quadras, Performas, and PowerMacs, is 256-colors. Older Macs like the LC and the IIsi run best in 2-, 4-, or 16-color mode.
Some inits slow the game down. Although it is inconvenient, rebooting with extensions off may make the game more playable on old machines.
A problem with jerky movement on AV Macs has finally been fixed as of version 1.3.1.
IF THE GAME WON'T RUN (CRASH, OR ERROR BOX DURING STARTUP):
Check the memory setting: 1,300 K is required for 256-color operation,
800K for 16-color.
SOME OTHER ERROR OCCURS:
If you are feeling generous, perhaps you can contact me with details
about the error. Note the error condition if possible, as well as the conditions
that led to the error and if it can be repeated at will. At a minimum I would like to know the version you are running, the computer it is being run on (CPU, monitor, system version), and the symptoms. The more details, the better.
KNOWN ODDITIES:
1) Screen savers and other utilities that activate based on the mouse
position may kick in during the game. They must be ignored, or (ideally)
turned off beforehand.
2) Changing screen depths while the application is running is not handled
in any way. It'll probably crash or behave oddly. I don't recommend it.
3) Pausing the game does not pause the timer used to compute bonus points.
Thus, bonus points are lost while the game is paused. (A small price to pay
