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 {\bfseries
  16 Menu controls:}
  17
  18 \begin{table}
  19     \begin{btnmap}{}{}
  20   \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD%
  21       ,SANSA_FUZE_PAD,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD%
  22       ,IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IRIVER_H10_PAD}
  23     {\ButtonLeft\ / \ButtonRight}
  24   \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchMidLeft{} / \TouchMidRight}
  25   \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  26     & Controls number of worms in the game\\
  27     \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  28         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  29             {\ButtonUp\ / \ButtonDown}
  30         \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu\ / \ButtonPlay}
  31         & Selects number of players\\
  32         \ButtonFOne & Selects game mode.\\}
  33     \end{btnmap}
  34 \end{table}
  35
  36 %The following table is only for the recorder version of the game, since the
  37 %other versions do not support either multi player or different control modes.
  38 %It is however prepared for the other targets should they ever support these
  39 %features. Also some other parts of the text is "opted" out for these targets.
  40
  41 {\bfseries
  42 Game controls:}
  43
  44 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  45 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.8}
  46 \begin{rbtabular}{\textwidth}{c X p{3cm} p{3cm} p{3cm}}%
  47 {\textbf{Players} & \textbf{Modes} & \textbf{Player 1} & \textbf{Player 2}
  48                         & \textbf{Player 3}}{}{}
  49 %
  50 0 & Out of control & \multicolumn{3}{p{9cm}}{With no player taking part in the
  51     game all worms are out of control and steered by artificial stupidity.}\\
  52 %
  53 \multirow{2}{*}{1} & 2 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  54                         \ButtonRight: turn right & {}- & {}-\\
  55                     & 4 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn  left
  56                         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  57                             {\ButtonUp}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}: turn up
  58                             \ButtonRight: turn right
  59                             \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  60                             {\ButtonDown}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}: turn down & {}- & {}- \\
  61 %
  62 \multirow{2}{*}{2} & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  63                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on remote control VOL DOWN:
  64                         turn left VOL UP: turn right & {}- \\
  65                     & No remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  66                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn
  67                         left \ButtonFThree: turn right & {}- \\
  68 3 & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left \ButtonRight: turn right
  69                         & on remote control VOL DOWN: turn left VOL UP: turn
  70                         right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn left \ButtonFThree:
  71                         turn right \\
  72 \end{rbtabular}
  73 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
  74 }
  75
  76 \nopt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  77 \begin{table}
  78     \begin{btnmap}{}{}
  79         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD%
  80             ,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
  81             ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IRIVER_H10_PAD}
  82         {\ButtonLeft}
  83         \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchMidLeft}
  84        \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  85         & Turn left\\
  86         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD%
  87             ,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
  88             ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IRIVER_H10_PAD}
  89         {\ButtonRight}
  90         \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchMidRight}
  91              \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  92         & Turn right\\
  93         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD%
  94             ,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
  95             ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonUp}
  96         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
  97         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollUp}
  98         \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchTopMiddle}
  99             \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
 100         & Turn Up\\
 101         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD%
 102             ,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
 103             ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonDown}
 104         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
 105         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollDown}
 106         \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchBottomMiddle}
 107            \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
 108         & Turn Down\\
 109     \end{btnmap}
 110 \end{table}
 111 }
 112
 113 \subsubsection{The game}
 114 Use the control keys of your worm to navigate around obstacles and find
 115 food. Worms do not stop moving except when dead. Dead worms are no fun.
 116 Be careful as your worm will try to eat anything that you steer it
 117 across. It won't distinguish whether it is edible or not.
 118
 119 \begin{description}
 120 \item[Food.]
 121 The small square hollow pieces are food. Move the worm over a food tile
 122 to eat it. After eating the worm grows. Each time a piece of food has
 123 been eaten a new piece of food will pop up somewhere. Unfortunately for
 124 each new piece of food that appears two new ``argh'' pieces will
 125 appear, too.
 126 \item[Argh.]
 127 An ``argh'' is a black square poisoned piece {}- slightly bigger than
 128 food {}- that makes a worm say ``Argh!'' when
 129 run into.  A worm that eats an ``argh'' is dead. Thus eating an
 130 ``argh'' must be avoided under any circumstances. ``Arghs'' have the
 131 annoying tendency to accumulate.
 132 \item[Worms.]
 133 Thou shall not eat worms. Neither other worms nor thyself. Eating worms
 134 is blasphemous cannibalism, not healthy and causes instant
 135 death. And it doesn't help anyway: the other worm
 136 isn't hurt by the bite. It will go on creeping happily
 137 and eat all the food you left on the table.
 138 \item[Walls.]
 139 Don't crash into the walls. Walls are not edible.
 140 Crashing a worm against a wall causes it a headache it
 141 doesn't survive.
 142 \item[Game over.]
 143 The game is over when all worms are dead. The longest worm wins the
 144 game.
 145 \item [Pause the game.]
 146 Press
 147 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}%
 148 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}%
 149 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,SANSA_FUZE_PAD%
 150   ,GIGABEAT_PAD,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 151 \opt{COWON_D2_PAD}{\TouchCenter}
 152 to pause the game. Press it again to resume the game.
 153
 154 \item[Stop the game.]
 155 There are two ways to stop a running game.
 156
 157 \begin{itemize}
 158 \item If you want to quit Wormlet entirely simply hit
 159 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 160 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 161 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 162 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{Long \ButtonHome}
 163 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}.
 164 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 165 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 166 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 167 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 168 \opt{IPOD_4G_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{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}.
 173 This freezes the game. If you hit
 174 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 175 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 176 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonPlay}%
 177 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 178 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonUp}%
 179 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 180 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 181 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 182 games menu you can hit
 183 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 184 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 185 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 186 \opt{SANSA_FUZE_PAD}{Long \ButtonHome}
 187 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 188 \end{itemize}
 189 \end{description}
 190
 191 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 192 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 193 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 194 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 195 dies its entry on the score board turns black.
 196
 197 \begin{description}
 198 \item[Len:]
 199 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 200 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 201
 202 \item[Hungry:]
 203 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 204 hungry and want to eat. It is good to have a hungry
 205 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it is
 206 better to get your worm growing.
 207
 208 \item[Growing:]
 209 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 210 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 211 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 212 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 213 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 214
 215 \item[Crashed:]
 216 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 217
 218 \item[Argh:]
 219 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 220 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 221 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it is your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 222
 223 \item[Wormed:]
 224 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 225 That's why it is dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 226 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 227 \end{description}
 228
 229 \subsubsection{Hints}
 230
 231 \begin{itemize}
 232
 233 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 234 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 235 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 236 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 237
 238 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 239 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 240 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 241 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 242 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can 'control' the
 243 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 244 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 245 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 246 your opponent.
 247
 248 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 249 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 250 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 251 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 252 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 253 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 254 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 255 }
 256 \end{itemize}