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}[ht!]
  19     \begin{center}
  20     \begin{tabular}{ll}\toprule
  21     \textbf{Key} & \textbf{Action}\\\midrule
  22     \ButtonLeft\ / \ButtonRight & Controls number of worms in the game\\
  23     \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  24         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  25             {\ButtonUp\ / \ButtonDown}
  26             \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu\ / \ButtonPlay} & Selects number of players\\
  27         \ButtonFOne & Selects game mode.\\}\bottomrule
  28     \end{tabular}
  29     \end{center}
  30 \end{table}
  31
  32 %The following table is only for the recorder version of the game, since the
  33 %other versions do not support either multi player or different control modes.
  34 %It is however prepared for the other targets should they ever support these
  35 %features. Also some other parts of the text is "opted" out for these targets.
  36
  37 {\bfseries
  38 Game controls:}
  39
  40 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  41 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.8}
  42 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{c X p{3cm} p{3cm} p{3cm}}\toprule
  43 \textbf{Players} & \textbf{Modes} & \textbf{Player 1} & \textbf{Player 2}
  44                         & \textbf{Player 3}\\\midrule
  45 %
  46 0 & Out of control & \multicolumn{3}{p{9cm}}{With no player taking part in the
  47     game all worms are out of control and steered by artificial stupidity.}\\
  48 %
  49 \multirow{2}{*}{1} & 2 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  50                         \ButtonRight: turn right & {}- & {}-\\
  51                     & 4 key control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn  left
  52                         \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  53                             {\ButtonUp}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}: turn up
  54                             \ButtonRight: turn right
  55                             \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  56                             {\ButtonDown}\opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}: turn down & {}- & {}- \\
  57 %
  58 \multirow{2}{*}{2} & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  59                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on remote control VOL DOWN:
  60                         turn left VOL UP: turn right & {}- \\
  61                     & No remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left
  62                         \ButtonRight: turn right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn
  63                         left \ButtonFThree: turn right & {}- \\
  64 3 & Remote control & on \dap\ \ButtonLeft: turn left \ButtonRight: turn right
  65                         & on remote control VOL DOWN: turn left VOL UP: turn
  66                         right & on \dap\ \ButtonFTwo: turn left \ButtonFThree:
  67                         turn right \\\bottomrule
  68 \end{tabularx}
  69 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
  70 }
  71
  72 \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{
  73 \begin{table}[ht!]
  74     \begin{center}
  75     \begin{tabular}{ll}\toprule
  76     \textbf{Key} & \textbf{Action}\\\midrule
  77     \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  78         {\ButtonLeft} & Turn left\\
  79     \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}
  80         {\ButtonRight} & Turn right\\
  81     \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonUp}
  82         \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu} & Turn Up\\
  83     \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonLeft}
  84         \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay} & Turn Down\\\bottomrule
  85     \end{tabular}
  86     \end{center}
  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's edible or not.
  95
  96 \begin{itemize}
  97 \item \textbf{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 \textbf{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 \textbf{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 \textbf{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 \textbf{Game over}
 120
 121 The game is over when all worms are dead. The longest worm wins the
 122 game.
 123 \item \textbf{Pause the game}
 124 Press
 125 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}\opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 126 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 127 to pause the game. Hit
 128 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}\opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 129 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 130 again to resume the game.
 131
 132 \item \textbf{Stop the game}
 133 There are two ways to stop a running game.
 134
 135 \begin{itemize}
 136 \item If you want to quit Wormlet entirely simply hit
 137 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}
 138 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}.
 139 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 140 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 141 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}
 142 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}
 143 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+ButtonPlay}.
 144 This freezes the game. If you hit
 145 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}
 146 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}
 147 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+ButtonPlay}.
 148 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 149 games menu you can hit
 150 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}
 151 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 152 \end{itemize}
 153 \end{itemize}
 154
 155 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 156 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 157 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 158 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 159 dies it's entry on the score board turns black.
 160
 161 \begin{itemize}
 162 \item \textbf{Len:}
 163 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 164 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 165
 166 \item \textbf{Hungry:}
 167 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 168 hungry and want to eat. It's good to have a hungry
 169 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it's
 170 better to get your worm growing.
 171
 172 \item \textbf{Growing:}
 173 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 174 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 175 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 176 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 177 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 178
 179 \item \textbf{Crashed:}
 180 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 181
 182 \item \textbf{Argh:}
 183 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 184 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 185 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it's your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 186
 187 \item \textbf{Wormed:}
 188 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 189 That's why it's dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 190 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 191 \end{itemize}
 192
 193 \subsubsection{Hints}
 194
 195 \begin{itemize}
 196
 197 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 198 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 199 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 200 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 201
 202 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 203 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 204 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 205 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 206 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can 'control' the
 207 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 208 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 209 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 210 your opponent.
 211
 212 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 213 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 214 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 215 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 216 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 217 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 218 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 219 }
 220 \end{itemize}