|
| |
| |
Dangimere RPG Contents
------------------------------------
I. System Requirements
II. About
III. How to get started
IV. Keyboard Commands
V. General Information
VI. Cavets
I. System Requirements
----------------------
Dangimere will run for sure on a 1 Meg ST. I had some
people test it on their STe's, Mega's and Falcons with
no noticable problems.
To get the full effect of the game, it is best to hook
up your audio output to a stereo because there are
many digitized sound samples.
Also a hard drive is strongly recommended but if you wish
you can run it from a floppy.
II. About
---------
Dangimere is a RPG that I have been writing for around
6 years. It all started back in High School with a text
based adventure game I wrote in BASIC (gasp!). Soon I ported
it to Pascal and finally, years later, to C.
About the time I started College at The University of
North Texas, I decided to incorporate graphics into the game.
At first it was quite primitive, just plain ole vector
graphics and a VERY small world to move in ( only a 4x4 grid).
For about a year I didn't do anymore coding on it. School
demanded all my available time and concentration. Then, in
May of 1991 I decided to transfer to Texas A&M University.
While at A&M I wrote animation routines, the main movement
and Graphics Engine, a TSR digitized sample player and other
odds and ends. At this point in the development cycle, I
had graphic templates for just about every view the user
saw. Needless to say this took up A LOT of memory and disk
space (around 700k). While taking my Operation Systems course
I decided to implement Virtual Memory/Paging so that 512k
users could play the game. This project worked perfectly
and for a while I was satisfied.
Then, in the summer of 1993, while taking a Computer Graphics
course I had a flurry of ideas. One of the most signifigant
ideas led me to totally rewrite the Movement/Graphics Engine
so that ANY scene could be built from just 6 primitives. This
had quite an impact because instead of needing 700k of Graphic
files, I just needed about 45k...which is a HUGE improvement.
Currently, I am taking Software Engineering....I can look
back on the development of the game and easly see that it
was a bottom up design, traceability is shot to hell and
maintenance on this beast would be any programmers Worst
Nightmare.....but heay, I learned a lot and it was a hell
of a lot of fun.
III. How to get started
-----------------------
You can run Dangimere from a floppy or a harddrive. I
recommend running it from your harddrive. Just create a
directory and place ALL the files in this archive in that
directory.
o Installation on a hard drive:
. Place ALL files in this archive in any directory you wish on
your hard drive.
. You have two options for fonts:
1) Using the Game's Font
. Copy the file called GOTH_I8.FNT to the BOOT drive (eg c:\)
. Copy the file AMCGDOS.PRG in the AUTO folder
. Edit the file ASSIGN.SYS so that the FIRST line, which
reads: path = a:\
Change this to : path = c:\
. Copy the file ASSIGN.SYS (the one you just edited) to the
BOOT drive(eg c:\)
. And when you run the program and you're prompted with the
question: 'Use the G)ames font or the C)urrent Font.
Pick the (G)ames font.
2) Using the Current Font
. If you wish, you can use such programs a FONTRIXX
to load up your own font
. I have included the fontrixx font file gothic.fn8 for your use
. PROCEDURE:
. Delete the file AMCGDOS.PRG from the AUTO folder
. Copy the file FONTRIXX.ACC to your boot drive (ie: c:\)
. Edit the file FONT.DEF so that the path A:\gothic.fn8
is changed to the path that you have all the dangimere
files located. ( ie: c:\dangimere\gothis.fn8 )
. Copy the file FONT.DEF to the BOOT drive (ie: c:\)
. When you load the game, you will be prompted with:
Do you wish to use the
(C)urrent font or the
(G)ames font.
Pick 'C' for Current font
. You're all set! Just click on RUN_ME.PRG
o Installation on floppy
. Just unLzh the files dan_disk1.lzh and dan_disk2.lxh each to
a seperate floppy disk and you're all set.
**** NOTE: It is STRONGLY recommended that you run this
game from your hard drive.
If you run it from a floppy, you should DISABLE
the digitized sounds. To do this, load up the game
and press G then select 'Turn Sound OFF'
When you are ready to play, double click on RUN_ME.PRG
When the intro screens appear, press RETURN to continue.
Finally you will be at the Lochsheian Portal.
A) Loschean Portal
------------------
This is where you ROLL a character, SAVE a character
ENTER the city or get INFO.
You only have one character. Whenever you choose to
Enter the City, that character will be loaded up. So
if you already have a character DO NOT roll and save
another one unless you want to delete the old character!!
IV. Keyboard Commands
---------------------
o Up arrow ---- Move Forward
o Left arrow ---- Turn Left
o Right arrow ---- Turn Right
o P ---- Pauses the Game.
o I ---- User Information
- Gold, Experience, Active Spells
and Special Items
o G ---- Game Options
- Save Game, Turn sound on/off, etc.
o U ---- User Items
- Such as : Potions, keys, torches...
o T ---- Check the Time ( you must own a timepiece )
o F1 key ---- Switch weapons.
V. General Information
----------------------
As you explore the City, beware of what you believe
and who you befriend.
The Seasons will come and go, rain will fall, the sun
will rise and set. Be brave, for you must gather information
that will enable you to return home....
VI. Cavets
----------
Dangimere is just the first module in a series of related
RPGs. The Dungeon is already in the works and the Forest is being
designed at this moment. I have written the Graphics Engine such
that it will be quite easy to create new RPGs.
One note: When playing the game and you get a text message in
the text window. Press any key when you are done
reading it, and the game will continue.
Also, the game runs in REAL TIME, that is, while
you are just sitting there doing nothing, time
is passing....
Thanks to all the beta testers, especially Rick
Schokman, for their invaluable comments. I could
make this better but other projects are hanging
over my head, and I'm REALLY sick of this game :)
Please send comments, suggestions, World Cup tickets, bugs, $$ to:
Jeffrey M. Bilger
1501 Harvey Rd. #799
College Station, Tx.
77840
or email me at: jmb8302@cs.tamu.edu
Also, the source code is available for $25 (U.S.)
It's not too pretty but I'm cleaning it up right now..
{ lint HATES it!!! :( }
Merry Christmas
- Jeff Bilger
Wednesday , December 27, 1993
9:31 pm.
|
| | | | |