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
  21   \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  22     & 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,IPOD_3G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu\ / \ButtonPlay}
  27         & Selects number of players\\
  28         \ButtonFOne & Selects game mode.\\}
  29     \end{btnmap}
  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 \\
  68 \end{tabularx}
  69 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
  70 }
  71
  72 \nopt{RECORDER_PAD}{
  73 \begin{table}
  74     \begin{btnmap}{}{}
  75         \ButtonLeft
  76        \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  77         & Turn left\\
  78         \ButtonRight
  79              \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  80         & Turn right\\
  81         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD%
  82             ,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonUp}
  83         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
  84         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollUp}
  85             \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  86         & Turn Up\\
  87         \opt{ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD%
  88             ,SANSA_C200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD,GIGABEAT_S_PAD,MROBE100_PAD}{\ButtonDown}
  89         \opt{IPOD_3G_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}
  90         \opt{IRIVER_H10_PAD}{\ButtonScrollDown}
  91            \opt{HAVEREMOTEKEYMAP}{& }
  92         & Turn Down\\
  93     \end{btnmap}
  94 \end{table}
  95 }
  96
  97 \subsubsection{The game}
  98 Use the control keys of your worm to navigate around obstacles and find
  99 food. Worms do not stop moving except when dead. Dead worms are no fun.
 100 Be careful as your worm will try to eat anything that you steer it
 101 across. It won't distinguish whether it is edible or not.
 102
 103 \begin{description}
 104 \item[Food.]
 105 The small square hollow pieces are food. Move the worm over a food tile
 106 to eat it. After eating the worm grows. Each time a piece of food has
 107 been eaten a new piece of food will pop up somewhere. Unfortunately for
 108 each new piece of food that appears two new ``argh'' pieces will
 109 appear, too.
 110 \item[Argh.]
 111 An ``argh'' is a black square poisoned piece {}- slightly bigger than
 112 food {}- that makes a worm say ``Argh!'' when
 113 run into.  A worm that eats an ``argh'' is dead. Thus eating an
 114 ``argh'' must be avoided under any circumstances. ``Arghs'' have the
 115 annoying tendency to accumulate.
 116 \item[Worms.]
 117 Thou shall not eat worms. Neither other worms nor thyself. Eating worms
 118 is blasphemous cannibalism, not healthy and causes instant
 119 death. And it doesn't help anyway: the other worm
 120 isn't hurt by the bite. It will go on creeping happily
 121 and eat all the food you left on the table.
 122 \item[Walls.]
 123 Don't crash into the walls. Walls are not edible.
 124 Crashing a worm against a wall causes it a headache it
 125 doesn't survive.
 126 \item[Game over.]
 127 The game is over when all worms are dead. The longest worm wins the
 128 game.
 129 \item [Pause the game.]
 130 Press
 131 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}%
 132 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}%
 133 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
 134   ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 135 to pause the game. Press
 136 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}%
 137 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}%
 138 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
 139   ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 140 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}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 149 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 150 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}.
 151 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 152 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 153 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 154 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 155 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+ButtonPlay}%
 156 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 157 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 158 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}.
 159 This freezes the game. If you hit
 160 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 161 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 162 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+\ButtonPlay}%
 163 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 164 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 165 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}
 166 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 167 games menu you can hit
 168 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 169 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 170 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 171 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 172 \end{itemize}
 173 \end{description}
 174
 175 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 176 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 177 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 178 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 179 dies its entry on the score board turns black.
 180
 181 \begin{description}
 182 \item[Len:]
 183 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 184 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 185
 186 \item[Hungry:]
 187 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 188 hungry and want to eat. It is good to have a hungry
 189 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it is
 190 better to get your worm growing.
 191
 192 \item[Growing:]
 193 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 194 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 195 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 196 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 197 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 198
 199 \item[Crashed:]
 200 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 201
 202 \item[Argh:]
 203 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 204 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 205 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it is your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 206
 207 \item[Wormed:]
 208 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 209 That's why it is dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 210 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 211 \end{description}
 212
 213 \subsubsection{Hints}
 214
 215 \begin{itemize}
 216
 217 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 218 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 219 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 220 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 221
 222 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 223 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 224 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 225 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 226 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can 'control' the
 227 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 228 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 229 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 230 your opponent.
 231
 232 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 233 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 234 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 235 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 236 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 237 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 238 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 239 }
 240 \end{itemize}