   BOUNCE v2   by Dan Eriksson 1999-2000...

 * System Requirements
 * How to play
 * Important files
 * Yeah
 * Info about the game
 * So


 System requirements
 -------------------
486/66
1meg RAM (i think)
VGA (320x200x256colors)
DOS (or Windows)

On slower computers the game will run choppy, and the ball might actually
get totally impossible to control. Please run game on a faster computer.
The game is created on a 486DX2/66MHz with 20meg RAM, and it runs perfectly fine on it.
The game has been tested on a three 66MHz, one 200MHz, one 300MHz and one 650MHz
computer, and it has worked fine. There are certain things that goes faster on a
faster computer, but that's mostly effects, and they doesn't really affect the game
which keeps the same speed on every computer.
Note, however, that in the beginning of a level you should wait for one second before
moving the ball. Or else, the ball might fly away VERY fast. This is not very
dangerous, but it's ugly and it's not very easy to control the ball for the nearest
second. No big deal, maybe, but keep it in mind.

   How to play?
   ------------
You use the arrow-keys to change the direction of the ball. But if the ball goes for
example to the right, you cannot turn directly to the opposite direction (left in this
case). You must learn how to make fast U-turns.
 The goal is to get to the 'x-it' before the time runs out. But before the blue 'ice-
cubes' will transform into 'x-it' boxes, you have to collect a certain amount of points.
These required points, called Diamond-points (or 'key' in the not so good level-editor),
are shown in the upper left corner. To the right of this number, your present Diamond-
score is shown. You get 2 points for every diamond, and 1 point for every red little thing
you pick up. So, when you've collected enough points, the 'x-it' will appear. It may be
hard to see, but look for the blue 'ice'-looking cubes. On some levels, the goal is to
NOT hit the 'x-it' cubes until you've picked up all the goodies. And on some levels the
only goal is to get to the exit, without having to pick up any diamonds. Well, I think
you'll understand after a while.
 The timer, located in the center of the screen on the top, shows how many seconds there
are left. If the time runs out, you will lose your current ball, all the points you've
collected on the level and all the balls you might have collected on the level. There
are powerups in some levels that give you 2 or 10 seconds.
Below the timer is a big bar that shows how much energy your ball has. This is the shield-
energy, and when it runs out, you're dead, and you'll lose your current ball, etc etc as
when your time runs out. The only way to lose energy is to hit the spiked skull-blocks.
They are really ugly, and easy to recognize. Every one of the three balls has different
shields. Normal ball can barely take any damage, the Strong ball can take very much damage
and the Micro ball can take a little more damage than the Normal ball.
 In the game, there are obstacles. These obstacles can be stones you have to hit several
times before they blow. And then there are the key-hole stones. These stones (or blocks)
requires a key to be destroyed. If you want to destroy a blue key-hole block, then,
wow, you have to hit a blue key first. And if you want to destroy a green key-hole block,
then you need a green key, etc. There are a certain powerup called The Rainbow-key. This
gives you all keys at the same time. Then there are the ?-keys, that gives you a random
key every time you hit it. The current key is displayed as a colored bar at the bottom
of your screen, and as a colored tail behind the ball.
 At the bottom of the screen to the left you can see which level you're on.
And on the levels, you might find extra-balls. These are the N, S and M powerups. Before
a level begins, you will be able to select the ball you wish to use on the level. If you
choose a ball and complete the level without getting killed, you will keep the ball. But
if you die, you'll lose the current ball, and you'll be brought to the 'choose ball' screen
again. At the 'choose ball'-screen, you'll see how many balls you have left. In the
beginning of the game, you'll only have 4 normal balls.
 At the end of a level, you'll get points for how much shield you've got, how many diamond-
points you've collected, and for how much time you've got remaining. You will also get the
balls you've picked up during the level transfered to your 'ball account'  :)

These are the three balls:
   Normal      Normal speed, normal size, low shield
   Strong      Slow speed, big size, high shield
   Micro       Fast speed, small size, medium shield

If you press ESC in the game, you will 'commit suicide'
and you'll be taken to the 'choose ball' screen (if
you have any ball left, that is). Pressing ESC in the
'choose ball' screen, you'll quit the current game, and
you will be taken to the main menu.
Pressing ESC from there exits Bounce. Also, if you
press CTRL+BREAK at any time you will exit Bounce.


   Important files:
   ----------------
All files are important, of course. A file that doesn't exist when the
program needs it may hang the computer if you're unlucky. Every file that
is listed in the picture.ini file must be present in the game directory
or else all the pictures won't be loaded and the game won't be very funny.
All the levels in the levels.ini file must be present in the directory,
or else the game will hang when it tries to load a level.
This isn't any bigger problems when running game from Win 95/98, because
you can shut down the hung program by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then
double-click the game in the list that appears.
But if the game hangs in DOS, the computer might have to be restarted.
(This hang-up thing shouldn't hurt anything on your computer - the game only
gets comfused when the file that it needs doesn't exist...  :)


   Yeah
   ----
I made this program between x-mas 1999 and the beginning of 2000. It is
a mixture of ideas and inspirations from other cool and old games. Long live
the Commodore 64...  The pictures are made in a program i created 1998 in
Microsoft QBasic, and the rest is made in Borland C++.
 I have made my own graphic-functions so that the program would run as I
want, so I haven't used any of Borland's graphic headerfiles. I use a BIOS-
function that changes the videomode, and then I plot my pictures into video-
memory.
 PS! The 'base' of the game was made between x-mas 99 to the beginning of
2000. Then, I've been fixing some bugs, improved the game, added levels and
pictures, added functions, etc, etc.
As of now (3/9 2000) the game is still not complete. I don't think it will
be completet either, because there is always some details that could be
changed to the better...  :)


   Info about the game
   -------------------
Programming:      By me (Dan Eriksson)
Graphics:         by me,
                  Per Gundberg (some of the solid stones)
Levels:           by me,
                  Per Gundberg
Game testing:     (see the 'About' screen in the game)
                  And also, Samuel Ekberg
Language:         Bouncing Comet is made in Borland C++ 4.52 code (no asm.)                  (no assembly code)
                  Pictures made with MakePic3
                  (Which is a QBasic program, made by me)

   So
   --
So... This is it! This game will probably never be completely finnished, but it
is playable. I often add some little effect of some little nice touch of design to
it when I have the time... And I add some levels, and replaces some pictures, etc.
Hope you enjoy the game!

Dan Eriksson, 16:50 Monday 21-08-2000
