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     \ButtonLeft\ / \ButtonRight & Controls number of worms in the game\\
  21     \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  22         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  23             {\ButtonUp\ / \ButtonDown}
  24             \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu\ / \ButtonPlay} & Selects number of players\\
  25         \ButtonFOne & Selects game mode.\\}
  26     \end{btnmap}
  27 \end{table}
  28
  29 %The following table is only for the recorder version of the game, since the
  30 %other versions do not support either multi player or different control modes.
  31 %It is however prepared for the other targets should they ever support these
  32 %features. Also some other parts of the text is "opted" out for these targets.
  33
  34 {\bfseries
  35 Game controls:}
  36
  37 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  38 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.8}
  39 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{c X p{3cm} p{3cm} p{3cm}}\toprule
  40 \textbf{Players} & \textbf{Modes} & \textbf{Player 1} & \textbf{Player 2}
  41                         & \textbf{Player 3}\\\midrule
  42 %
  43 0 & Out of control & \multicolumn{3}{p{9cm}}{With no player taking part in the
  44     game all worms are out of control and steered by artificial stupidity.}\\
  45 %
  46 \multirow{2}{*}{1} & 2 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  47                         \ButtonRight: turn right & {}- & {}-\\
  48                     & 4 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn  left
  49                         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  50                             {\ButtonUp}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}: turn up
  51                             \ButtonRight: turn right
  52                             \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  53                             {\ButtonDown}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}: turn down & {}- & {}- \\
  54 %
  55 \multirow{2}{*}{2} & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  56                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on remote control VOL DOWN:
  57                         turn left VOL UP: turn right & {}- \\
  58                     & No remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  59                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn
  60                         left \ButtonFThree: turn right & {}- \\
  61 3 & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left \ButtonRight: turn right
  62                         & on remote control VOL DOWN: turn left VOL UP: turn
  63                         right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn left \ButtonFThree:
  64                         turn right \\
  65 \end{tabularx}
  66 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
  67 }
  68
  69 \nopt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  70 \begin{table}
  71     \begin{btnmap}{}{}
  72         \ButtonLeft
  73         & Turn left\\
  74         \ButtonRight
  75         & Turn right\\
  76         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD%
  77             ,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonUp}
  78         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
  79         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollUp}
  80         & Turn Up\\
  81         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD%
  82             ,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonDown}
  83         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
  84         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollDown}
  85         & Turn Down\\
  86     \end{btnmap}
  87 \end{table}
  88 }
  89
  90 \subsubsection{The game}
  91 Use the control keys of your worm to navigate around obstacles and find
  92 food. Worms do not stop moving except when dead. Dead worms are no fun.
  93 Be careful as your worm will try to eat anything that you steer it
  94 across. It won't distinguish whether it is edible or not.
  95
  96 \begin{description}
  97 \item[Food.]
  98 The small square hollow pieces are food. Move the worm over a food tile
  99 to eat it. After eating the worm grows. Each time a piece of food has
 100 been eaten a new piece of food will pop up somewhere. Unfortunately for
 101 each new piece of food that appears two new ``argh'' pieces will
 102 appear, too.
 103 \item[Argh.]
 104 An ``argh'' is a black square poisoned piece {}- slightly bigger than
 105 food {}- that makes a worm say ``Argh!'' when
 106 run into.  A worm that eats an ``argh'' is dead. Thus eating an
 107 ``argh'' must be avoided under any circumstances. ``Arghs'' have the
 108 annoying tendency to accumulate.
 109 \item[Worms.]
 110 Thou shall not eat worms. Neither other worms nor thyself. Eating worms
 111 is blasphemous cannibalism, not healthy and causes instant
 112 death. And it doesn't help anyway: the other worm
 113 isn't hurt by the bite. It will go on creeping happily
 114 and eat all the food you left on the table.
 115 \item[Walls.]
 116 Don't crash into the walls. Walls are not edible.
 117 Crashing a worm against a wall causes it a headache it
 118 doesn't survive.
 119 \item[Game over.]
 120 The game is over when all worms are dead. The longest worm wins the
 121 game.
 122 \item [Pause the game.]
 123 Press
 124 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
 125 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 126 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 127 to pause the game. Press
 128 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
 129 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 130 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 131 again to resume the game.
 132
 133 \item[Stop the game.]
 134 There are two ways to stop a running game.
 135
 136 \begin{itemize}
 137 \item If you want to quit Wormlet entirely simply hit
 138 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}
 139 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}
 140 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonPower}.
 141 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 142 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 143 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}
 144 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}
 145 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+ButtonPlay}
 146 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}.
 147 This freezes the game. If you hit
 148 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}
 149 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}
 150 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonPlay}
 151 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}
 152 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 153 games menu you can hit
 154 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}
 155 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}
 156 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonPower}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 157 \end{itemize}
 158 \end{description}
 159
 160 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 161 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 162 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 163 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 164 dies its entry on the score board turns black.
 165
 166 \begin{description}
 167 \item[Len:]
 168 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 169 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 170
 171 \item[Hungry:]
 172 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 173 hungry and want to eat. It is good to have a hungry
 174 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it is
 175 better to get your worm growing.
 176
 177 \item[Growing:]
 178 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 179 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 180 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 181 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 182 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 183
 184 \item[Crashed:]
 185 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 186
 187 \item[Argh:]
 188 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 189 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 190 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it is your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 191
 192 \item[Wormed:]
 193 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 194 That's why it is dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 195 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 196 \end{description}
 197
 198 \subsubsection{Hints}
 199
 200 \begin{itemize}
 201
 202 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 203 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 204 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 205 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 206
 207 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 208 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 209 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 210 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 211 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can 'control' the
 212 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 213 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 214 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 215 your opponent.
 216
 217 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 218 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 219 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 220 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 221 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 222 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 223 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 224 }
 225 \end{itemize}