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,GIGABEAT_S_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,GIGABEAT_S_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,GIGABEAT_PAD%
 127   ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 128 to pause the game. Press
 129 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IAUDIO_X5_PAD}{\ButtonPlay}%
 130 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}%
 131 \opt{IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD,IPOD_4G_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD%
 132   ,GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonSelect}
 133 again to resume the game.
 134
 135 \item[Stop the game.]
 136 There are two ways to stop a running game.
 137
 138 \begin{itemize}
 139 \item If you want to quit Wormlet entirely simply hit
 140 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 141 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 142 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 143 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}.
 144 The game will stop immediately and you will return to the game menu.
 145 \item If you want to stop the game and still see the screen hit
 146 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOn}%
 147 \opt{ONDIO_PAD}{\ButtonOff+\ButtonMenu}%
 148 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonSelect+ButtonPlay}%
 149 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD}{\ButtonRec}%
 150 \opt{GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonA}%
 151 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonMenu}.
 152 This freezes the game. If you 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 button again a new game starts with the same configuration. To return to the
 160 games menu you can hit
 161 \opt{RECORDER_PAD,ONDIO_PAD,IRIVER_H100_PAD,IRIVER_H300_PAD}{\ButtonOff}%
 162 \opt{IPOD_4G_PAD}{\ButtonMenu+\ButtonSelect}%
 163 \opt{IAUDIO_X5_PAD,SANSA_E200_PAD,GIGABEAT_PAD}{\ButtonPower}%
 164 \opt{GIGABEAT_S_PAD}{\ButtonBack}. A stopped game can not be resumed.
 165 \end{itemize}
 166 \end{description}
 167
 168 \subsubsection{The scoreboard}
 169 On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it
 170 displays its status and its length. The top most entry displays the
 171 state of worm 1, the second worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm
 172 dies its entry on the score board turns black.
 173
 174 \begin{description}
 175 \item[Len:]
 176 Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating
 177 food it grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
 178
 179 \item[Hungry:]
 180 That's the normal state of a worm. Worms are always
 181 hungry and want to eat. It is good to have a hungry
 182 worm since it means that your worm is alive. But it is
 183 better to get your worm growing.
 184
 185 \item[Growing:]
 186 When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step
 187 it moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts
 188 for 7 steps. After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If
 189 another piece of food is eaten while growing it will increase the size
 190 of the worm for another 7 steps.
 191
 192 \item[Crashed:]
 193 This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
 194
 195 \item[Argh:]
 196 If the score board entry displays ``Argh!'' it
 197 means the worm is dead because it tried to eat an ``argh''. Until we
 198 can make the worm say ``Argh!'' it is your job to say ``Argh!'' aloud.
 199
 200 \item[Wormed:]
 201 The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself.
 202 That's why it is dead now.  Making traps for other players with a worm
 203 is a good way to get them out of the game.
 204 \end{description}
 205
 206 \subsubsection{Hints}
 207
 208 \begin{itemize}
 209
 210 \item Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to
 211 avoid other worms and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up
 212 themselves and collect the food afterwards. Don't worry if the other
 213 worms grow longer than yours {}- you can catch up after they've died.
 214
 215 \item When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms.
 216 Those worms controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the
 217 nearest piece of food. Let the other worm have its next piece of food
 218 and head for the food it would probably want next. Try to put yourself
 219 between the opponent and that food. From now on you can 'control' the
 220 other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making a 1 pixel wide
 221 U{}-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure you keep
 222 between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
 223 your opponent.
 224
 225 \opt{RECORDER_PAD}{
 226 \item While playing the game the \dap\ can still play music. For
 227 single player game use any music you like. For berserk games with 2 players use
 228 hard rock and for 3 player games use heavy metal or X{}-Phobie
 229 (\url{http://www.x-phobie.de/}).
 230 Play fair and don't kick your opponent in the toe or
 231 poke him in the eye. That would be bad manners.
 232 }
 233 \end{itemize}