FoliDash for the Atari Portfolio SHAREWARE VERSION 0.91 ================================ (last modified: November 4th 1996) Getting started: ---------------- Important note: Please backup important data before starting the program for the first time. I assume no liability for any damage which may result from the use of this software. Former versions caused the system to crash at the next alarm after exiting from the program. System requirements: The game runs on the Atari Portfolio Palmtop Computer only. Disk space: 6846 Bytes + approx. 400 Bytes for each cave free RAM: at least 33 KB To play FoliDash, you need to copy FOLIDASH.COM and one or more cave-files like FOLIDASH.A, FOLIDASH.B etc. to your Portfolio. FoliDash needs to be run from inside the directory where the cave-files are located. If it won't start at all, you might not have enough free memory. Please WAIT ABOUT 15 SECONDS while the program code is being decompressed. Parameters: The sound can be disabled by typing "FOLIDASH -nosound" (or anything else as parameter). The package contains a level-compiler called "MAKECAVE.EXE" which is used to generate new puzzles for the game. Type "MAKECAVE /?" to see how it works. MAKECAVE is designed to be run on a normal PC rather than on the Portfolio. Currently, there are only three levels included: FOLIDASH.A - the title screen, not intended to be played FOLIDASH.B - "The Pyramid", for beginners only FOLIDASH.C - "The Reactor" The corresponding sources are called title.txt, pyramid.txt and reactor.txt. You can modify them using a texteditor. The full version will certainly come with more levels. The game: --------- FoliDash is a clone of the classic Boulderdash (R) wich has already been available for the Atari 8-Bit-computers and the Commodore 64. The original concept was designed by Peter Liepa and Boulderdash (R) is now distributed by Firststar Software Inc. The Atari Portfolio is probably one of the few computers where no clone of this game has been available yet. The aim of the game is to collect diamonds and to find a way to the exit in a short time. But be careful! There are rocks falling down, amoeba growing and dangerous fireflies flitting around. Controls: Space / Joystick-Button = Status information Cursor left = move left Cursor right = move right Del / Cursor up = move up Cursor Down = move down S = Switch sound on/off O = Turn off the machine ESC = End game U = By no means, press this key! Note that the keyboard-interrupt is revectored, so no hotkeys will work. Use the 'o'-key to turn off the Portfolio. The auto- power-off feature won't work either. Joystick-support: Optionally, a digital Joystick (as for use with C=64, Atari 800 etc.) can be connected to the parallel port with a simple adaptor. The specifications of the adaptor were defined by Jan Sedlak in October 1995 and are very close to these of the Joystick-adaptor for PC64, a C=64-emulator by W. Lorenz for IBM-compatible PCs. Please contact me for further info or get the file joystick.lzh. The autodetect-routine of FoliDash enables Joystick-control by default, if the adaptor is found at the start of the program. Scoring: -------- Collected Diamond = 5 Pts Collected Bonus Diamond = 20 Pts Time Bonus for each second left = 1 Pt The top five Highscores are stored in the cave-file. Copyright: ---------- (C) 1996 Klaus Peichl and Firststar Software Inc. This is the shareware version 0.91 of FoliDash. It may be freely distributed. Actually, this is only a beta-release and I encourage you to tell me about everything that you feel should be changed. Good cave-files are also very welcome. (Please do not remake those from the original Boulderdash (R), as they are copyrighted). I will collect your puzzles and make it available to the public. Go to my WWW-page (see below) to see if there's something new available. How to register: ---------------- Registered users will receive FoliDash 1.0. It contains a couple of improvements (and two hidden cheats), less bugs, and is even smaller in size. Also, the decompression phase at the start does not take that long as it does in this version. To order the registered version of FoliDash, send $5 or the equivalent in whatever currency to one of the below adresses. You will receive your copy as soon as possible. [ Germany: Bankverbindung: Dresdner Bank Erlangen (BLZ 760 800 40) Konto-Nr. 0550960900 ] What I need from you: 1. $5 2. Your e-mail-address. You will receive your licensed copy uuencoded via e-mail. If this is not acceptable for you, then - add $3 for sending a disk to you, - specify desired disk format (5.25"/3.5"/360k/720k/1.2M/1.4M), - tell me your postal address. 3. A three-letter-code that will then appear in your highscores. BTW: All updates to newer versions of FoliDash will be free. addresses: ---------- valid until 1997: Klaus Peichl Ratiborer Str. 2 / 020203 91058 Erlangen Germany electronic mail: kspeichl@cip.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de World Wide Web (currently only German language): http://cip2.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de:8080/hyplan/kspeichl/pf.htm or (valid after 1997): Klaus Peichl Oestliche Ringstr. 7 85113 Boehmfeld Germany That's all. If you find something strange: It's not a bug - it's a feature! Enjoy!