Zeroth Zone v1.2 Aug 8 1999
===========================

Welcome to the Zeroth Zone! (0z)


Version history
================

1999-08-08: Release v1.2
      *New web & email address (0z.exe and readme.txt)

1999-05-26: Release v1.1
	*Modified the font to be more readable
	*Added cwsdpmi.exe, cwsdpmi.doc and readme.txt to the ZIP-file. 
	*More changes to this file: info on installation + more test PCs

1999-03-09: Release v1.0 - First stable version.
	*Exactly the same version as v0.91b as there are no new bugs
	*Added details to this readme file; About 0z, Requirements

1999-02-05: Release v0.91b
	*Bugs fixed:
	 -after a crash you now restart in the same zone you crashed
	 -"zone" in score board is now counting *down* (to zero)!
	 -small detail in the tile map
	*Added sound effects to the main menu choices
	*Also added this "Version history" section to readme.txt :)

1999-01-30: Release v0.9b
	*First beta release.

About 0z
========

This is a freeware PC DOS game highly *inspired* by the horizontal
scrolling arcade classic known as "Scramble". It is not intended to 
be an exact copy of Scramble. For instance, you will not gain anything
by shooting the fuel tanks, instead you must pick them up by touching
them with your space ship.

Also, 0z is in no way intended to be a revolution in the gaming
industry, a fact which is proven by the lack of good sound effects
and graphics. And programming. The purposes of the game are to: 

1. Show our admiration for the classic arcade game.
2. Practice general PC game programming techniques.
3. Ressurect our ancient game programming ideas.

The aim of 0z is as something like this: Do your best to navigate your
spaceship through six alien landscapes in order to reach the zeroth zone
without getting killed. There are a total of six zones (counting the
zeroth) which include a small variety of dangers such as missiles and
asteroids. If you reach the end of the zeroth zone, you have "won".

You have three ships to play with. If you get low on fuel you must 
fill the tank by picking up fuel tanks - not shooting them as you do
in the old Scramble. If you lose a ship, you will have to restart the
last zone in which you crashed. Lose them all and the fun ends.
Game over. 

Zeroth Zone ratings on misc. software archives:
4 out of 5 - Freegames.Org
4 out of 5 - Allegro Games Review Index
3 out of 5 - Tucows
3 out of 5 - ZDNet

If we would rate Zeroth Zone ourselves, it would probably get 3 out of 5.
But that depends what you compare it to! Everything's relative, as Einstein
said.

Controls
========

Keyboard or joystick. For keyboard controls, use arrow keys and SPACE
for fire and CTRL for bombing. For joystick, use one fire button for 
normal fire, and the other button for bombing. Errr..something like that!

Installation & Starting
=======================

Windows 3.x/95/98/NT:
1. Unzip the 0z.zip file into a separate folder.
2. Open the Zeroth Zone folder
3. Click on the 0z.exe file to start the game.

DOS:
1. Unzip the 0z.zip file into a separate folder.
2. Go to the folder which contain all the Zeroth Zone files
3. Run 0z.exe.

Requirements
============

Works fine in DOS/Win95 environment on a PC Pentium 166MHz, 32MB mem,
SB compatible sound card and a cheap SVGA card. Should work fine on
most Pentium PC's!

0z has been tested on a crap PC (specs above) as well as a more descent PC
PII 450Mhz 128MB Ram, Viper 550, SB 64. The only thing is that the music
sounds worse on the new PC while the sounds effects are the same. Why???

Apart from these two machines, 0z has now also been tested on four other
PCs - all successfully! The only thing which is noticable is a little bit
of screen flicker on slow machines.

Bugs
====

No known bugs as of this moment, but if you discover any bugs (be it
code, graphics, sound or anything else) please let us know!  

Credits
=======

0z was made during January 1999 by Venus of the Voodoo.
MIDI music from songs by John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream.
Don't ask me why the MIDI songs sound odd on some PCs!

Thanks to:
-DJ Delori for the free DJGPP C/C++ compiler.
-Shawn Hargreaves for the DJGPP Allegro graphics library.

Legal stuff
===========

Zeroth Zone is (C) CopyLeft Binary Spells. Seriously: Freeware!

We give you the right to copy 0z as long as you don't modify anything.
Also, if you plan to make any money out of this game you must contact
us first as you must be quite bonkers to have such a plan.

Contact us
==========

Email:	binary.spells@pmail.net
Web:		www.binaryspells.com

Please let us know what you think of this game! We would appreciate
any feedback even it it's only to say the game is crap.

Stay tuned for more updates and new games from Binary Spells! Keep 
checking our web site.

