

       PretzelDash prerelease v0.3
       ---------------------------


(Probably) Frequently Asked Questions.

This file was written by Imagician, Apr/28/2000.

Lies LIESMICH.TXT fu:r eine deutsche Umsetzung geschrieben von Plex.

Q : What is PretzelDash?
A : PretzelDash is an adaption of the classic BoulderDash. Since we like the
    original game a lot and considered it to be funny to code a similar engine,
    we decided to make this game for your and our pleasure. You might say
    'what's so great about yet another clone?', but you really don't know what
    you're missing before you've been playing it.
    And in fact, PretzelDash is actually much more than just another clone...

Q : How to play?
A : The best way is to run the game in DOS Mode, because Windows is acting
    really uncooperative about using the souncardfunctions autonomously,
    and you would have to play without the great soundeffects under Windows.

    Here's something to help you along if you're playing this game for the
    first time:

    - by starting a new game you can freely select one out of 10 missions (this
      will change very likely in the final version of the game). You're then
      being briefed about the thing(s) you have to do to complete the mission.

    - don't get dashed by falling objects (everything loose falls down except
      for the balloons, they do rise). loose objects also roll off each other
      if piled...

    - the brown monsters are hazardous, the blue boobies are harmless.

    - press p for pause and then cursorkeys to scroll/ discover the mine
      when playing a mission for the first time

    Controlling the menus:

    cursorkeys   : move up/ down
    esc          : back
    space/ enter : confirm


    Controlling in game:

    cursorkeys         : move player
    space + cursorkeys : make a long arm (eating/ pushing stuff without
                         making a step)
    esc                : menu
    p                  : pause mode on/ off (use cursorkeys to scroll while
                         game is paused)

Q : What's that "prerelease" stuff all about?
A : For we couldn't wait anymore to put the game out, we decided to release
    a so called "prerelease" (well, at least we call it that :).
    It's not fully functional, because it's not really the final version.
    The final version will very likely include many more things such as:
    Highscore, saving/ loading, collectable extras, a help, german language,
    more and bigger mines, and so on and so on and so on... (but no mip-
    mapping or z-buffering etc., that's only a joke! :)

Q : What is this "score: ...." and "time: ...." crap after a completed mission
    good for?
A : You can write down those passwords and send an email including this
    password and your name to plex@bionfx.de. There'll be an overall highscore
    published on our website www.bionfx.de. The top 10 scorers and timers of
    each mine will be in there. We will try to update this frequently, for
    we have not coded a program to automatize this highscore stuff on our
    website yet.
    From v0.2 on the passwords are also saved in passwd.log, so you are not
    troubled with writing down that long passwords anymore (which can easily
    lead to typos), just copy 'em from that files and paste them into your
    mail.

Q : Are there any possible command line parameters?
A : Yes. Try
     prtzldsh.exe -nowin    to avoid the Windows checking (it runs under
                            Windows then, but without soundeffects)
 and prtzldsh.exe -nosound  to avoid the Soundblaster checking (there'll be
                            definitely no sound then)
    You can also combine those two.

Q : Why is there no sound?
A : The sound only works on Soundblaster compatible soundcards.
    So either your card ist not SB compatible or you're running the game
    under Windows, there's generally no sound then.

Q : Where can I get the final release of PretzelDash from?
A : You can hopefully download the full game at: http://www.bionfx.de soon.
    Since Plex and me (Imagician) are studying at the moment, we cannot
    say when exactly it will be finished.

Q : What is BionFX?
A : BionFX is a german Demo crew. If you want to find out more, check our
    website www.bionfx.de and follow the link to the original site (the former
    homepage is currently headed by an exclusive PretzelDash document, to make
    it easier to find the PretzelDash download).

Q : Why is (almost :) everything in English although BionFX is a german crew?
A : Well, it became a habit. But we plan to implement  a language choice into
    the final game (Deutsch, English). Actually there is at least a german
    conversion of this file, namely LIESMICH.TXT.

Q : Why is the contrast of the graphics so strange?
A : Because I (Imagician) have a quite old monitor with an awesome gamma-
    level (wow, that's really bad especially for a graphician!). Moreover it's
    not really sharp anymore (in fact, I don't quite remember if it ever was)
    and it's only a 14' (concernig this, I'm shure it always was, for this
    can't go off as easily :).
    I've tried to fix it afterwards on friends' computers, but the result is
    hardly satisfying me.
    Maybe you wouldn't ask this question but I really feel sorry about this
    thing, and I only wanted to point this out in case you might have noticed
    it. Maybe it's also only a poor attempt to make you donate money for buying
    a new monitor... well... :)


Finally we'd like to ask you some questions concerning PretzelDash.
You should have played it in advance answering them. When done, just copy the
following section an paste it into an email addressed to plex@bionfx.de.

We would be very happy about some feedback from you. Also don't forget to
send your passwords.

Just insert an "X" or eventually missing text.

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Voluntary PretzelDash Survey. We'd like to know...


1. How did you hear about PretzelDash?

   [ ] by using a search engine, namely ..., using the keywords ...
   [ ] friends told me about it
   [ ] heard about it in a chat/ read about it in a forum, namely ...
   [ ] none of the above, namely ...

2. Which are the 3 mines you like the most (we know, they are small, but it's
   only a prerelease! :)
   Just write the name or the number of the mission in here.

   1. ...
   2. ...
   3. ...

3. How do you like PretzelDash? Give a number between 0 and 5 (0 = sucks,
   5 = superb).

   My rating : ...

   Additional Comment (good things, bad things...) :

4. Did you know Boulderdash (or a conversion) before? How did you like it?

   [ ] I didn't know Boulderdash before.
   [ ] I knew Boulderdash before. The computer I played it on was a ...
       [ ] I liked Boulderdash.
       [ ] I didn't like Boulderdash.

5. Did you hear about BionFX before?

   [ ] No.
   [ ] Yes, namely ... (where/ what?)
   [ ] What is BionFX?


6. Did you find any bugs or things you would consider as bugs?
   If yes, we would be happy about a concrete description of the error
   occured (and maybe an instruction on how we can reproduce it).

   [ ] No.
   [ ] Yes, namely ...

7. Do you have any suggestions for the final release or improvements we
   could make for your pleasure?

   [ ] No.
   [ ] Yes, namely ...

8. Please tell us about your computer:

   [ ] i386
   [ ] i486
   [ ] Pentium
   [ ] Pentium II
   [ ] Pentium III
   [ ] AMD K6
   [ ] AMD K7
   [ ] different, namely ...

   CPU Speed is ... MHz

   [ ] I have no soundcard.
   [ ] I have a Soundblaster compatible card, namely ...
   [ ] I have a CREATIVE LABS Sound Blaster.

   [ ] The sound worked.
   [ ] The sound did not work in DOS Mode.

   [ ] I use DOS only. Version ...
   [ ] I use Windows95.
   [ ] I use Windows98.
   [ ] I use WindowsNT.
   [ ] I use WindowsNT emulator (Linux).
   [ ] something else, namely ...

9. Please tell us about you.

   [ ] male       [ ] female

   I am ... years young.

   [ ] I'm going to kindergarten.
   [ ] I'm going to school.
   [ ] I'm studying.
   [ ] I am unemployed.
   [ ] I am working.
   [ ] I am retired/ pensioner.

   [ ] I like computer games. My favorite 3 games are ..., ... and ... .
   [ ] I don't like computer games.

   [ ] I don't use the Internet so much.
   [ ] I use the Internet more than once a week. I am online for about ...
       hours per week.



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Additional version information:


v0.3                  : release date: Apr/28/2000
                        - runtime error 200 bug fixed

v0.ms2k               : release date: Apr/23/2000
                        - strongly minisized version for
                          MekkaSymposium2000 32k game compo

v0.2a                 : release date: Apr/01/2000
                        - selfextracting archive
                        - keyboardhandling changed a litte bit once again
                        - included survey (see above)
                        - "mission succeeded" jingle
                        - add. sfx at startup and quitting game

v0.2                  : release date: Jan/24/2000
                        - improved keyboardhandling
                        - increased Windows compatibility
                        - hiscore password logging

v0.12 (not displayed) : release date: Jan/18/2000
                        - missing mine plex02.lvl added
                        - slightly improved palette


v0.1  (not displayed) : release date: Jan/17/2000


If you have any further questions or find a bug, don't hesitate to mail us.
Concerning PretzelDash please contact preferably Plex (main coding) or
Imagician (gfx, sfx, add. coding).


Thank you for your attention.


__ ______ _______________________  ______ ____________________________________
  /_    /\   ____                 /   __/\
  \/   /_/__/___/\_____________  /   /__\/_____   dolby.......dolby@bionfx.de]
  /   _    /   /  _  _   _    /\/    _\   /    /\ imagician....[img@bionfx.de]
 /   //   /   /  //  /  //   / /    / /       / / parsec....[parsec@bionfx.de]
/________/___/______/___/   / /    / /___/____\/  plex........[plex@bionfx.de]
\________\___\______\__/___/ /____/ /\___\_____\
                       \___\/\____\/                     http://www.bionfx.de
______________________________________________________________________________
