



			  FLASH WORM (tm) VERSION 1.0
			Copyright 1993 by E-Z Computing
			      All Rights Reserved

		       Programming by Michael R. Stanley
	   Flash Protocol by Timothy J. Stryker of Galacticomm, Inc.

		   - DISTRIBUTION AND PROPRIETARY NOTICES -

	    Flash Worm is a  registered	 trademark of E-Z Computing
	    West Jordan	 UT,  and may  not  be used  for any  other
	    product   without  express	 written   permission  from
	    E-Z Computing.

	    All software,  related files and documentation, includ-
	    ing this document, are Copyright 1993 by E-Z Computing.
	    The	 program may  be copied and  distributed at will as
	    shareware,	but no files or	 documentation may be modi-
	    fied  in any  way without  the  aforementioned  written
	    permission.	 Included files or documentation may not be
	    deleted  or used  in conjunction with  any application,
	    except for Flash Worm.

	    If you enjoy  Flash Worm V1.0,  and	 use  it  more than
	    a dozen times,  you	 are required to send a donation of
	    $12.00 to:

			     E-Z Computing
			     7031 South Redwood Rd.
			     Suite 112
			     West Jordan, UT 84084

	    Please use the order form at the end of this file

	    The	 $12.00 includes applicable sales tax.	 Sending  a
	    donation, does not guarantee you the right to anything,
	    except  the	 right	to  use	 the beta version,  however
	    it is our intention to have	 the first non-beta version
	    available  by  April  30, 1993.   Anybody who registers
	    by that date will receive a free individual, serialized
	    ten player version of Flash Worm.
	    Additionally,  financial  rewards  will  motivate us to
	    spend MORE time on the first,  and subsequent versions,
	    and other  quality	games.	 If you do send a donation,
	    please include ANY comments/suggestions you might have.
	    If you are an  MBBS sysop,	you can get in on a special
	    deal.   Send  the  regular	check  for  $12.00 for your
	    individual serialized copy,	 and  if  you  would like a
	    BBS	 copy, send  an	 additional check for $53.00 (for a
	    total of $65.00),  and we'll  send you a BBS serialized
	    copy as soon as it is available.  We won't process your
	    check  until we ship.   You can post date the check for
	    April 30, 1993,  and  we'll	 mail it back to you if you
	    request  us	 to  before  that  date (or before we ship,
	    whichever is later).   Be  sure  to	 include  your	BBS
	    serial number in your reply.


INTRODUCTION:

This is the first version of Flash Worm.  It is a Beta Test ONLY copy.
It will allow up to 6 people per flash pool, and 3 to actually participate
in each game.  I am releasing this beta version, not only for bug information,
but for input.	Any suggestions will be appreciated.  Sysops, please make
this file available for your users to download ASAP, and ask for them to
try it and offer their suggestions.  If you would, compile their suggestions
in some quick and easy way and upload it to 'Michaels' on the Gcomm Demo
System.	 I'd really prefer suggestions as a downloadable file for review!

Again ANY suggestions will be appreciated, but high res graphics, and
joystick support are in the works already.  In particular, I really need
input on any problems you might have.  I only get a few minutes here and
there to test Flash Worm in a multi user setting, so you might find bugs
I didn't pick up.

The first release might not yet support high res graphics, but the second
release definately will.  I have limited time to work on games, but of course
if there is a good response to this release (money wise speaking), I'll jump
on the high res graphics immediately!

I think this will be a fun game, and quite different from the typical bang
bang shootem up games.	Personally I get real tired of those.


EXECUTING FLASH WORM:

The syntax for Flash Worm at the dos prompt is as follows:

	FWORM [COM1|COM2|COM3|COM4] [&]

If you do not specify a comport on the command line, you will be prompted
for one.
The [&] option is for EGA/VGA users ONLY who use the enclosed fwfont.com
file.  If you do have EGA/VGA execute FWFONT prior to executing FWORM.
After you leave FWORM, type 'mode co80' at the dos prompt to return to a
normal font.  It is best to do this from a batch file such as this

	FWFONT
	FWORM &
	MODE CO80

This font makes the game MUCH more intersting looking for EGA/VGA users.
Do NOT use the font com file if you do not have EGA/VGA!


OBEJECTIVE:

The objective is to be the last to survive, or the first to reach a size
of 200.	 If you start as a single user, then the objective is just to get
to 200.


THE GAME:

The worm bed is devided into 9 sections.  The sections are devided by
greenery.  Each section contains food represented by brown asterisks, and
some poison represented by little white dots.  There is also a worm hole in
each section represented by a yellow 'O'. To get into the other sections, you
crawl thru the worm hole.  You will come out a worm hole (selected at random)
in one of the other sections.

As you eat food, your worm will grow.  You grow 1 segment for each food that
you eat.  If you eat poison, the last three segments of your worm will turn
into poison.  You can also grow by biting another worm.	 If you are bitten,
part of your worm will turn into food.	This is true even if you bite your-
self, so be careful not to run into yourself.

You can kill a worm by snipping it right behind the ear.  Each worm must
maintain a minimum size of 3 in order to stay alive.

You can see the size of each worm in the player windows.  If a worm is dead,
it's size will read '***'.  The game screen shows a slot for 10 players,
this is because the final version will allow up to 10 players at a time.


INTERFACING WITH YOUR WORM:

To make your worm change directions, you can use the arrow keys.  Joysticks
are not supported yet, but will be on the next version.	 Remember that your
worm has two heads.  You can also use the arrow keys to reverse your worm.
You do this by using the arrow key that is in the opposite direction as your
current head is traveling.  When you do this your tail and head switch places
and you start going the other way.  Be careful however, because this can send
off in direction syou weren't intending to go.	If your head is traveling UP,
and your tail is pointed left, pressing the DOWN arrow key will reverse your
worm and you will be going left.

Use the Insert Key to put your worm in Turbo mode.  Your worm moves twice as
fast when in Turbo.  Bumping into shrubery, another worms head, or poison
will automatically take you out of turbo.


OTHER VALID KEYS:

When a game first starts, you visible area will always be the sector that
the head of your worm is in.  The view area will follow where ever you go,
unless you use the HOME, END, PGUP, and PGDN keys to view different areas.
Use the TAB key to lock the view screen on your worm again.


Hope you have fun Flash Worming!



A TECHINICAL NOTE

Flash Worm is written in C++, and compiled under Borland C++ 3.1.
It uses the Flash Objects Library which is currently also under development
by E-Z Computing.  This library handles all of the typical overhead a flash
game seems to require (i.e. front end terminal utility, chat utility, flash
intialization, lineup processing, soundoff processing, sound, random number
seeding, etc.).	 This allows developers to concentrate their efforts on the
game side of a flash program rather than the somewhat complicated Flash
communications overhead.

Flash Objects will make it so much easier to develop flash games, that
once it is available, I think flash games will be coming out on a monthly
rather than bi-annual basis.

Flash Objects will also contain a debugging utility that makes it much easier
to isolate communication errors in a flash game.  That is one of the things
that makes developing flash games difficult.  You cannot run a flash game in
a debugger (except in solo mode), since you must be constantly processing
input from the host or you get kicked off.

The first version of Flash Objects should be available in May or June.	We
want to develop a couple of games with it before we release it to make sure
it is consistent and flexible enough for use.  The Library will include
well documented source, project files, samples, and templates.	If you have
written, or have a basic understanding of creating a windows application,
you'll find Flash Objects a snap.  If not, then Flash Objects may seem a bit
ambiguous at first, but once you catch onto what we're doing, you'll likely
appreciate it.


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 NOTE: If you offer suggestions,  or are reporting a bug, please give us your 
	voice phone number so that we may call you if we have questions.  Also 
	note when might be the best time to reach you.			       
									       
					 Thanx,				       
						 Michael R. Stanley	       
									       
									       
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