manual/plugins/wormlet.tex

   1 \subsection{Wormlet}
   2 \screenshot{plugins/images/ss-wormlet}{Wormlet game}{img:wormlet}
   3 Wormlet is a \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{multi{}-user }multi{}-worm game on a multi{}-threaded
   4 multi{}-functional Rockbox console. You navigate a hungry little worm.
   5 Help your worm to find food and to avoid poisoned argh{}-tiles. The
   6 goal is to turn your tiny worm into a big worm for as long as possible.
   7
   8 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
   9 For 2{}-player games a remote control is not necessary but recommended.
  10 If you try to hold the \dap\ in the four hands of two players
  11 you'll find out why. Games with three players are only
  12 possible using a remote control.\\}
  13
  14
  15 %The following table is only for the recorder version of the game, since the
  16 %other versions do not support either multi player or different control modes.
  17 %It is however prepared for the other targets should they ever support these
  18 %features. Also some other parts of the text is "opted" out for these targets.
  19
  20 {\bfseries
  21 Game controls:}
  22
  23 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  24 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.8}
  25 \begin{rbtabular}{\textwidth}{c X p{3cm} p{3cm} p{3cm}}%
  26 {\textbf{Players} & \textbf{Modes} & \textbf{Player 1} & \textbf{Player 2}
  27                         & \textbf{Player 3}}{}{}
  28 %
  29 0 & Out of control & \multicolumn{3}{p{9cm}}{With no player taking part in the
  30     game all worms are out of control and steered by artificial stupidity.}\\
  31 %
  32 \multirow{2}{*}{1} & 2 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  33                         \ButtonRight: turn right & {}- & {}-\\
  34                     & 4 key control & on \dap\
  35                         \ButtonLeft: turn  left
  36                         \ButtonUp: turn up
  37                         \ButtonRight: turn right
  38                         \ButtonDown: turn down & {}- & {}- \\
  39 %
  40 \multirow{2}{*}{2} & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  41                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on remote control VOL DOWN:
  42                         turn left VOL UP: turn right & {}- \\
  43                     & No remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  44                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn
  45                         left \ButtonFThree: turn right & {}- \\
  46 3 & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left \ButtonRight: turn right
  47                         & on remote control VOL DOWN: turn left VOL UP: turn
  48                         right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn left \ButtonFThree:
  49                         turn right \\
  50 \end{rbtabular}
  51 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
  52 }
  53
  54 \nopt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  55     \begin{btnmap}
  56         \nopt{MPIO_HD200_PAD,touchscreen}{\ButtonLeft}
  57         \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}
  58         \opt{touchscreen}{\TouchMidLeft}
  59             &
  60         \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{
  61             &}
  62         Turn left
  63         \\
  64
  65         \nopt{MPIO_HD200_PAD,touchscreen}{\ButtonRight}
  66         \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}
  67         \opt{touchscreen}{\TouchMidRight}
  68             &
  69         \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{
  70             &}
  71         Turn right
  72         \\
  73
  74         \nopt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IRIVER_H10_PAD,MPIO_HD200_PAD%
  75             ,touchscreen}{\ButtonUp}
  76         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
  77         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollUp}
  78         \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}
  79         \opt{touchscreen}{\TouchTopMiddle}
  80             &
  81         \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{
  82             &}
  83         Turn Up
  84         \\
  85
  86         \nopt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IRIVER_H10_PAD,MPIO_HD200_PAD%
  87             ,touchscreen}{\ButtonDown}
  88         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
  89         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollDown}
  90         \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}
  91         \opt{touchscreen}{\TouchBottomMiddle}
  92             &
  93         \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{
  94             &}
  95         Turn Down
  96         \\
  97     \end{btnmap}
  98 }
  99
 100 \subsubsection{The game}
 101 Use the control keys of your worm to navigate around obstacles and find
 102 food. Worms do not stop moving except when dead. Dead worms are no fun.
 103 Be careful as your worm will try to eat anything that you steer it
 104 across. It won't distinguish whether it is edible or not.
 105
 106 \begin{description}
 107 \item[Food.]
 108 The small square hollow pieces are food. Move the worm over a food tile
 109 to eat it. After eating the worm grows. Each time a piece of food has
 110 been eaten a new piece of food will pop up somewhere. Unfortunately for
 111 each new piece of food that appears two new ``argh'' pieces will
 112 appear, too.
 113 \item[Argh.]
 114 An ``argh'' is a black square poisoned piece {}- slightly bigger than
 115 food {}- that makes a worm say ``Argh!'' when
 116 run into.  A worm that eats an ``argh'' is dead. Thus eating an
 117 ``argh'' must be avoided under any circumstances. ``Arghs'' have the
 118 annoying tendency to accumulate.
 119 \item[Worms.]
 120 Thou shall not eat worms. Neither other worms nor thyself. Eating worms
 121 is blasphemous cannibalism, not healthy and causes instant
 122 death. And it doesn't help anyway: the other worm
 123 isn't hurt by the bite. It will go on creeping happily
 124 and eat all the food you left on the table.
 125 \item[Walls.]
 126 Don't crash into the walls. Walls are not edible.
 127 Crashing a worm against a wall causes it a headache it
 128 doesn't survive.
 129 \item[Game over.]
 130 The game is over when all worms are dead. The longest worm wins the
 131 game.
 132 \item [Pause the game.]
 133 Press
 134 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,PBELL_VIBE500_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}%
 135 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}%
 136 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD%
 137   ,GIGABEAT_PAD,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 138 \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}
 139 \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchCenter}
 140 to pause the game. Press it again to resume the game.
 141
 142 \item[Stop the game.]
 143 There are two ways to stop a running game.
 144
 145 \begin{itemize}
 146 \item If you want to quit Wormlet entirely simply hit
 147 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 148 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 149 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 150 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{Long \ButtonHome}%
 151 \opt{PBELL_VIBE500_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 152 \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}%
 153 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}.
 154 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 155 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 156 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 157 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 158 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonPlay}%
 159 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 160 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonUp}%
 161 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 162 \opt{PBELL_VIBE500_PAD}{\ButtonCancel}%
 163 \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}%
 164 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}.
 165 This freezes the game. If you hit
 166 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 167 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 168 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonPlay}%
 169 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 170 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonUp}%
 171 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 172 \opt{PBELL_VIBE500_PAD}{\ButtonCancel}%
 173 \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}%
 174 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 175 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 176 games menu you can hit
 177 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 178 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 179 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 180 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{Long \ButtonHome}
 181 \opt{PBELL_VIBE500_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 182 \opt{MPIO_HD200_PAD}{FIXME}%
 183 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 184 \end{itemize}
 185 \end{description}
 186
 187 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 188 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 189 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 190 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 191 dies its entry on the score board turns black.
 192
 193 \begin{description}
 194 \item[Len:]
 195 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 196 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 197
 198 \item[Hungry:]
 199 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 200 hungry and want to eat. It is good to have a hungry
 201 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it is
 202 better to get your worm growing.
 203
 204 \item[Growing:]
 205 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 206 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 207 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 208 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 209 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 210
 211 \item[Crashed:]
 212 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 213
 214 \item[Argh:]
 215 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 216 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 217 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it is your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 218
 219 \item[Wormed:]
 220 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 221 That's why it is dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 222 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 223 \end{description}
 224
 225 \subsubsection{Hints}
 226
 227 \begin{itemize}
 228
 229 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 230 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 231 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 232 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 233
 234 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 235 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 236 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 237 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 238 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can `control' the
 239 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 240 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 241 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 242 your opponent.
 243
 244 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 245 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 246 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 247 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 248 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 249 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 250 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 251 }
 252 \end{itemize}