321 GAMES/321GAMES.iso/arcade/crawler/crawler.doc

Text File | 1995-03-23 | 20.9 KB | 519 lines

                    CRAWLER!
                   Version 3.0




                   Copyright (c) 1994,
                 Moonlight Entertainment
                   All rights reserved








  COPYRIGHT
      COPYRIGHT 1994, Moonlight Entertainment.  All rights reserved.  No part
      of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
      in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form, by
      any means, without the written permission of Moonlight Entertainment.

      ObjectWindows routines used in Crawler! are copyrighted by Borland
      International.

  TRADEMARK
      IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
      Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
      Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
      Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Ltd.
      Crawler! is a trademark of Moonlight Entertainment.

  LIMITED WARRANTY
      Crawler is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.  Moonlight
      Entertainment warrants to the original purchaser of Crawler! that the
      diskette will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for
      ninety days from the date of purchase.

  LICENSE
      This is an unregistered version of Crawler! and may therefore be used
      for evaluation purposes only.  You are free to distribute (at no cost)
      this unregistered version in its entirety to other users and BBS's.
      Keep in mind that this is an unregistered version.  You are welcome to
      try the game out at your own leisure.  If you like Crawler!, you should
      complete the registration form (REGISTER.DOC) and send it along with
      payment to Moonlight Entertainment.


Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 1


CRAWLER!

Protect your children, round up your pets, lock your doors, and for goodness
sake... hide your plants!  Crawler! is here!  Never has the world been in
such danger!  Screams can be heard from around the neighborhood:

           "Arrghh!  My plants have been destroyed!"
               "What the hell is THAT?"
               "Those no-good Crawlers!"
                  "They're so cute!"

Not until the arrival of Crawler! has yard-keeping been so tough... so
frustrating... so... humiliating!  Yard work will never be the same!

Overview

You are one of the many no-good, plant-eating, insect-like creatures that
have recently invaded neighborhoods around the world.  You thrive on plants
and drive humans crazy by destroying their yards.  Conquer one yard at a time
by eating all of the owners' valuable plants.  If you're one of the most
agile crawlers around, you'll be able to take over the entire neighborhood.


TAKING A LOOK AROUND

Before we get into any game details, there are three portions of the screen
that you must become familiar with.  The large brown window at the top of the
game screen is known as the yard.  This is easy to identify as it is the
largest window on the screen.  Just below the yard, you will notice a long
rectangular window.  This is the time bar.  Below the time bar you will
notice six small rectangular windows.  These windows collectively make up the
status area.

The Yard

The yard is the large brown portion of the screen where the actual game takes
place.  Crawlers remain in this area throughout game play and must be careful
to avoid hitting the boundaries.  It is here where crawlers roam, various
plants grow, and where many life-threatening obstacles are encountered.

Time Bar

Located just below the yard is a long rectangular window known as the time
bar.  The time bar displays the amount of time a crawler has to eat a Red
Gernatium (see section on game objects).  Should a crawler fail to eat a Red
Gernatium before the time bar expires, three additional gernatiums will grow
in the play area, thus adding to the total amount of plants that a crawler
must eat in order to clear the current yard.  For every Red Gernatium that a
crawler eats, the time bar is reset.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 2


Status Area

The status area is comprised of six small rectangular windows at the bottom
of the screen.  Each of these six windows provides some information about the
current player and current game.  Information in the status area includes the
number of plants left, number of plants eaten, player's name, player's score,
the current yard, and the amount of crawlers left.

Plants Left

The number shown here indicates the amount of Red Gernatiums that must be
eaten before a crawler can move onto the next yard.  Once a crawler has eaten
all Red Gernatiums, a hole will appear in the yard through which a crawler
can escape.  If a crawler fails to eat a Red Gernatium before the time bar
expires, three additional gernatiums will be displayed, thus adding to the
number of plants that must be eaten in order to conquer the yard.

Plants Eaten

This figure shows the number of Red Gernatiums that a crawler has eaten since
the start of the current yard, or the start of its current life.

Crawlers Left

This figure indicates the amount of crawlers a player has left before the
game ends.  Extra crawlers can be obtained by freeing genies that are trapped
in bottles.

Player Name

This is the name of the person currently playing the game.

Player Score

This is the score of the person currently playing the game.

Yard

This figure indicates the yard a crawler is currently destroying.

Game Objects

In order to be a true competitor, you need to understand what objects a
crawler can eat, and what objects a crawler must avoid.  There are many
different objects in the game of Crawler!.  Among these objects are crawlers,
Red Gernatiums, Blue Caramacas, bottles, poison, scissors, blocks, rocks,
and escape holes.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 3


Crawler

The green segmented insect that you will be controlling throughout the game
is known as a crawler.  This creature is made up of two types of body parts:
a head and body segments.  The crawler's head is its only weak spot.  It is
very sensitive, and any hit to the head could prove to be fatal.  The rest of
a crawler's body consists of a number of segments.  These segments are
virtually indestructible as they have a very thick coating.  A crawler is
seldom harmed by any attack made on its body segments.

Red Gernatium

The red flowers, or Red Gernatiums, are crawlers' staple food.  To conquer a
yard, a crawler must eat a certain amount of Red Gernatiums.  The actual
number of gernatiums that a crawler must eat depends on the experience level
selected.  Nevertheless, the number of Red Gernatiums that must be eaten is
shown in the "Plants Left" display window.  At least one of these red flowers
should be eaten before the time bar expires.  If the time bar expires, three
additional Red Gernatiums will be displayed on the screen, adding to the
amount of flowers a crawler has to eat before conquering the yard.  When a
Red Gernatium is eaten, a new one appears and the time bar is reset.  When
all Red Gernatiums have been eaten, an escape hole will appear somewhere in
the yard.  Locate this hole and maneuver crawler to the hole in order to go
on to the next yard.

Blue Caramaca

A favorite food item of a crawler is the "Blue Caramaca", a flower whose
origin is traced back to Northern Africa.  According to researchers, it is by
far the most tastiest of plants (and yields the greatest amount of bonus
points!).  Blue Caramacas grow randomly in yards, but do not have to be eaten
in order to clear a yard.  They are simply plants that allow crawlers to earn
bonus points while satisfying their healthy eating habits.

Bottle

Once in a while, you will notice a small bottle in the yard.  If a crawler
mistakens a bottle for a plant and accidentally eats it, a genie is released.
Happy to be free after years of imprisonment, the genie shows its gratitude
by granting Crawler an extra life!  (Hey, don't be greedy... it's better than
nothing!)

Poison

Watch what you eat!  Humans are not very fond of what they consider to be
"pesty plant-eating insects."  They'll do almost anything to keep their
plants from being destroyed.  Since the arrival of Crawler!, people have
reported major damage to gardens all over the country.  Now they are
desperately trying to fight back by spreading Crawler-killing poison in their
yards.  This chemical is known to be very effective, and crawlers seldom
survive.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 4


Scissors

Ouch!  Scissors is one of the few objects that can injure a crawler.  If a
crawler runs into a pair of scissors, the tail portion of its body is
dismembered, thus shortening a crawler's body length.  Although this can be
very painful for a crawler, it can be used effectively as a survival measure.

Block

Blocks will be found throughout the yard in various locations and must be
avoided at all costs.  Should a crawler happen to run into a block, it will
die of severe head injuries!

Rock

Look out!  When rocks exist, they pose a great threat!  Bouncing off any
object in its path, a rock makes a crawler's life miserable.  A crawler can
be killed by a rock if the rock hits the crawler's head.  This is the only
point of vulnerability for the crawler, as any hit to a body segment will do
no harm.  If a crawler can keep rocks from hitting its head, it should have
no problems crawling through the yard.

Escape Hole

Finally!  An exit to the next yard!  When a crawler has eaten all of the Red
Gernatiums,  an escape hole will appear somewhere in the yard.  If a crawler
can locate this hole, it can tunnel through to the next yard.  If a crawler
exits the current yard without dying, it will receive survival bonus points
as well as a bonus for conquering the yard.  Otherwise, a crawler will only
receive a bonus for conquering the yard.

Point System

Certain game objects have point values associated with them.  The following
table lists these objects along with their point values and side effects.

Item                     Points         Side Effects

Red Gernatium            100            Growth
Scissors                 100            Severed body segments
Bottle                   200            Frees genie who grants an extra life.
Blue Caramaca            300            Growth
Yard Bonus               1000           No effect
Survival Bonus           2000           No effect

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 5


PLAYING THE GAME

Object of the Game

Your job, as a fellow crawler, is to take over the entire neighborhood.  In
order to do so, you must destroy each and every yard in the vicinity.  Do not
underestimate the challenge however, as destroying a single yard is a
difficult task in itself.  To destroy a single yard, you must eat all of the
Red Gernatiums that grow there.  You must rely on skill, quick thinking, and
of course, luck.  Crawlers are known to be a great big pain in the... yard,
so don't disappoint the rest of us crawler-maniacs.  As a crawler, you have a
job to do and a reputation to protect, so get out there and do some damage!

Controls

In Crawler!, you don't have to worry about having to memorize a whole book
of commands or controls.  There are only two commands in the game:  turn
clockwise, and turn counter-clockwise.  These commands can be executed using
either the mouse or the keyboard.

Mouse Controls

If you are using a mouse, pressing the left button will turn Crawler in the
counter-clockwise direction.  Pressing the right mouse button will cause
Crawler to turn clockwise.  After pressing either of these buttons, Crawler
will turn in the specified direction and begin to move in the new direction
until commanded to do otherwise.

Please note that moving the mouse cursor (the arrow) over the menu bar during
game play activates the pull-down menus which in turn hides portions of the
screen.  To prevent this from happening, try to keep the mouse cursor away
from the top portion of the screen.  If you are having problems holding the
mouse steady, we suggest you use the keyboard controls instead.

Keyboard Controls

If you are using the keyboard, pressing the <L> key will turn Crawler in the
counter-clockwise direction.  Pressing the <;> key will turn Crawler
clockwise.  After pressing either of these keys, Crawler will turn in the
specified direction and begin to move in the new direction until commanded
to do otherwise.

Please note that we use the terms clockwise and counter-clockwise instead of
left and right.  The reason for this is that pressing the left button does
not necessarily mean that it will turn a crawler to your left.  For example,
if a crawler is moving downward, pressing the left button will actually turn
the crawler to your right (counter-clockwise, or in other words, the crawler's
left).

At first these controls will seem to be awkward (just as it was when you
first used a mouse), but with practice, you'll realize how easy and
convenient these controls can be.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 6


Exiting the Game

To exit Crawler!  click the "File" menu item and select "Exit" from the list.
A dialog box will be displayed on the screen asking if you are sure you want
to quit.  Click the "OK" button to exit, or click the "Cancel" button to
return to the game.

MENU ITEMS

There are three items displayed on the menu bar:  File, Options, and Help.

File Menu

The File menu has three items to choose from:  New Game, Hall of Fame, and
Exit.

New Game

As you probably guessed, the "New Game" menu item initiates a new game.  When
this menu item is selected, a dialog box is displayed on the screen with one
or more text boxes.  Each player must type his or her name in these text
boxes.  If the amount of text boxes does not match the actual amount of
players, click the "Cancel" button and select the correct number of players
from the Options menu (see section on Options menu).  After you have selected
the appropriate number of players, select "New Game" once again from the File
menu.  When all player names have been successfully entered, click the "OK"
button to start the game.

If "New Game" is selected while a game is already in progress, a dialog box
will appear asking you if you would like to quit the current game.  If you
want to quit the current game, click the "OK" button.  Otherwise, click
"Cancel" and the current game will be resumed.

Hall of Fame

This menu item displays the crawlers with the best records.  The Hall of Fame
is divided into three groups:  Beginner, Average, and Over-Confident.  Within
each of these groups, crawlers are ranked by the number of rocks that were in
existence during their games.

The top-ranked crawler in each group is the crawler who managed to conquer
the most yards while two rocks were in existence.  The second-ranked crawler
of each group is the crawler who conquered the most yards while only one rock
was in existence.  Likewise, the third-ranked crawler conquered the most
yards with no rocks in existence.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 7


Exit

To exit Crawler!  click the "File" menu and select "Exit" from the list of
menu items.  A dialog box will be displayed on the screen asking if you are
sure you want to quit.  Click the "OK" button to exit, or click the "Cancel"
button to return to the game.

Options Menu

Crawler! was designed so that everyone, no matter what experience level, can
compete and enjoy the game.  There are four sets of options for Crawler!:
Number of Rocks, Number of Players, Experience Level, and Sound.  There is
also an item labeled "Save Configuration..." which allows a user to save the
current settings.  These options are explained below in further detail.

Number of Rocks

This option sets the number of rocks that will exist during a game*.  There
are three options here:  No rocks, one rock, or two rocks.  Because rocks
continually move and bounce off objects during game play, a crawler's chance
of survival is lessened with each additional rock.  If you're a beginner, we
suggest that you start off with one rock or no rocks at all.  To select the
number of rocks most appropriate to your skill level, simply click the
diamond-shaped button to the left of the option you wish to select.  Click
"OK" to accept the number of rocks or click "Cancel" to discard the change.

Number of Players

This option sets the number of players that will be playing the game*.
Crawler! supports anywhere from one to four players.  To select the desired
number of players, simply click the diamond-shaped button to the left of the
number of players you wish to select.  Click "OK" to accept the number of
players or click "Cancel" to discard the change.

Experience Level

This option sets the game difficulty*.  There are three different experience
levels:  Beginner, Average, and Over-Confident.  Each option defines game
parameters in an attempt to match a player's skill level with game
complexity.  To select the experience level most appropriate for you, click
the diamond-shaped button to the left of the experience level you wish to
select.  Click "OK" to accept the experience level or click "Cancel" to
discard the change.

Sound

This menu option toggles the game sounds on and off.  If there is a check mark
to the left of this menu item, then sound is enabled.  Otherwise sound is dis-
abled.  To toggle between the two states, simply click the Sound menu item in
the Options menu.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 8


Save Configuration

This menu item saves the settings that are currently selected in the Options
menu.  This will relieve the user of re-configuring game options each time
Crawler! is run (see note below).

*  Please note that changes to the first three options in the "Options" menu
(Number of Rocks, Number of Players, and Experience Level) do not take effect
until the "New Game" option (in the File menu) is selected.  This prevents
new options from taking effect during a game that is already in progress.  In
other words, changes to these three options do not affect a game that is
already in progress.

Help Menu

Crawler! has an online-help feature which is basically a copy of this user
manual.  To use this feature simply click the "Help" menu option and search
through its contents as you would a normal Windows application.


TROUBLE SHOOTING

Problem  :  File Write Error.  Cannot Write to file FAME.CRA
Solution :  Check available disk space.  Drive may not have enough disk space.

Problem  :  File Open Error.  Yard Data File Missing.
Solution :  Re-install Crawler!.  Program cannot locate data file.

Problem  :  Please fill in each player name or press the Cancel Button.
Solution :  Each text box in the player name entry dialog box must be filled.
        Enter in a name for each player.  If this is too many players,
        click the Cancel button and select the appropriate number of
        players from the Options menu.  See Options Menu topic in this
        document for details.

Problem  :  Unable to enter player name.
Solution :  Focus may be on the OK button or Cancel button.  Click the mouse
        cursor on the text box, or hit the <Tab> key until you see a
        blinking cursor in the text box.

Problem  :  Cannot find BWCC.DLL.
Solution :  BWCC.DLL must be placed in the Windows directory.  If Windows is not
        in the \WINDOWS directory, copy BWCC.DLL from \WINDOWS directory to
        the directory in which Windows is installed.  If Windows is in-
        stalled in the \WINDOWS directory, make sure that \WINDOWS is in
        the AUTOEXEC.BAT file's PATH statement.

If you encounter any problems that you are unable to solve, please contact
Moonlight Entertainment at the number listed at the bottom of this document.

Crawler! User Manual                                                 Page 8


CREDITS

Programmer     :    Derrick Ribilla
Artwork        :    Marlo Mukai, Derrick Ribilla
Yard Designs   :    Davy Miura
Beta Testers   :    Horatio Chan, Charles Kitsuki, Daniel Lee, Davy Miura,
            Tomoo Okagawa, Jordon Wong, Randall Wong

Moonlight Entertainment would like to thank the following people:

Randy Arnold, B.N.T.H., Horatio Chan, Romeo Eleno, Kevin Kitabayashi, Charles
Kitsuki, Rita Littlejohn, Davy Miura, Elsonne Miyashiro, Cheryl Morita, Marlo
Mukai, Kristen Ribilla, Radford Sam Fong, Kia'aina Schubert, Steven Souder,
Lori Takamoto, Rhude Thompson, UH Hilo Professors, Nadine Vilarima, Richard
Weis, Bruce White, Jordon Wong, Randall Wong

Additional Acknowledgments:

University of Hawaii at Hilo
Long Distance/USA - Sprint


Moonlight Entertainment
P.O. Box 29254
Honolulu HI 96820

[phone]