Prototype Game Copyright (C) Moose O'Malley, ------------------ September 2002. +===========================================================+ | T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S | +===========================================================+ | * Introduction | * Installing this Program | * Uninstalling this Program | * The Future | * Credits / Special Thanks to | * Freeware Information | * Warranty | * Amendment History | * Contacting the Program's Author +===========================================================+ Introduction : -------------- This prototype game is simply to allow me to develop and test my prototype sprite engine. This prototype game is not polished or even fully playable, and is severely lacking in many areas : * the sound is abysmal, * the control system is limited to the keyboard, * the code is largely unoptimised, * the game is barely playable, * the sprites are low quality and each only has a few frames of animation, * the background is a simple single scrolling bitmap, * the collision detection is not satisfactory * etc However, it serves as a basis upon which I can further develop my game and sprite engines. Because the code is mostly unoptimised, the game currently requires a reasonably fast PC to get the full 40 frames per second. i.e. a Pentium III 500 MHz or above is perfect. However, even though it is still early days, things are looking promising, and some features of my Prototype Sprite Engine include : * (Almost) Flicker free animation for any number of sprites on screen at once, each with their own number of frames of animation, sizes / resolutions, number of colours, own movement agendas, speeds, scores, hit points, etc. * Linking of sprite states to sounds, so that sounds can play when sprites are created, destroyed, etc. * Written in very easily understandable and maintainable Delphi code - using simple BitBlitting of images - no Direct/X at this stage. * Eight way Scrolling background bitmap images. I wrote this prototype game / sprite engine "for fun" way back in early-mid 2000. Developed using 32-bit Delphi. This program is for Windows 95 / 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP / and similar. Installing this Program : ------------------------- Run the GAME_INSTALLER.EXE in the distribution ZIP file, and follow the prompts - just like many other standard Windows programs. To run the program you could : 1. Navigate your Start menu and look for the "Moose's Software" group and run the game, or, 2. Locate the place where you installed the program (using Windows Explorer) - the default location is c:\Program Files\Game\, and double click on the game's executable to run it, just like many other standard Windows programs. Uninstalling this Program : ---------------------------- Use the Add / Remove programs in Windows Control Panel to uninstall this program - just like many other standard Windows programs. The Future : -------------- * Optimisation ! * Better sound - may mean moving to Direct/X - darn it !!! * A better prototype game (to demonstrate the sprite engine), * More behind the scenes options, so my sprite engine will natively support space invaders type games, platform games, simple 2D driving / flying / running games, etc, * Enemies that attack back. * Physics engine, * Parallax scrolling, * Multiple levels of background / scenery, * Tile mapping (to enable scrolling backgrounds to be built), * Accurate collision detection * Better graphics. e.g. high-resolution sprites each with dozens or hundreds of frames of animation. * etc. Credits / Special Thanks to : ------------------------------ Thanks / credits go to : - Ari Feldman for his great Sprites (Graphics images) http://www.arifeldman.com - ZOIDS Music : in MIDI format Originally from the wierd Commodore 64 game of the same name. This music was composed for the C=64 game by the legendary Rob Hubbard (and he based the music on Synergy's Ancestors music from their great "Audion" album). A MIDI version was created for the PC by : Chris Abbott (HiTec Music, HTML@aol.com) and Rochus Wessels (rochus@math.uni-muenster.de) - The Sound effects (WAV files) have been on my harddrive so long that I have forgotten where they came from originally. They could be from a Zillion Sounds CD or some other program. - The background (the plate of pasta) is an old Windows desktop bitmap that was downloaded from somewhere on the internet many years ago. Freeware Information : ---------------------- This program is FREE software - any person and any company is welcome to copy it, use it, and distribute it as they see fit, as long as the program's files and this text file remain intact. If you paid money for this program, then you were ripped off, and you should complain to the person who sold it to you !! Warranty : ---------- This software and the accompanying files are provided "as is" and without warranties as to performance or merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. The user assumes the entire risk of using this software. If you do find any faults with this program, email me and let me know, and I will do my best to fix it ASAP. Amendment History : -------------------- Vers Date Description 0.05 5-Sep-2002 First Public Release (but program was written ~2 years ago). (4,584 lines of code / comments.) If this program was not downloaded from my Home Page, then it is most likely an old version. The latest version of this program is available from my Home page and its mirrors. Mike "Moose" O'Malley ____________________________________________________ Moose's Software Valley - Established July, 1996. WEB: http://move.to/moose ____________________________________________________