| -- |\ ---- |--\ | | | | | | ----- |--\ \ / | / \ | \ | | | | | |\ | |\ | | | | \ / | | | | | |--- |--/ | | | \ | | \ | |--- |--/ \/ | | | | | | | \ | | | \ | | \ | | | \ /\ | \ / | / | | \ \ / | \ | | \ | | | \ / \ ---- -- |/ ----- | \ -- | \| | \| ----- | \ / \ ====================================================================================== = = = LODE RUNNER X = = Created by Mike Doty = = = = May 12, 2006 = = = = http://mikdot.allhyper.com = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = I. Introduction = = = = Thank you for downloading LRX. I hope you enjoy it! = = = = I created LRX because I wanted to play Lode Runner again. I couldn't find a = = good version on emulator; some ran too quickly, some ran too slowly. Some = = worked well but didn't let you skip levels and made you start at level 1 = = every time. = = = = Soon, this project became much more than a Simple remake of Lode Runner. It = = evolved into what you see now: LRX. = = = = This README will explain how to get started in the game. = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = II. Controls & Settings = = = = LRX supports most gamepads and joysticks. If you'd like to use one, = = you might wish to configure which button does what in the options menu = = before you being. = = = = To do this, choose "Preferences" from the Main Menu. THen, select the = = "Controls / Options" item. = = = = Now you will be able to customize your joystick or gamepad. To input a new = = button, simply left-click on any action and then press the desired button on = = your joystick or gamepad. = = = = If you have been a fan of Lode Runner since its Commodore 64 roots, you know = = Lode Runner was meant to be played with a joystick. :) = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = III. Single Player = = = = LRX provides a very extensive single player component. To enter single = = player mode, begin by selecting "SIngle Player" from the Main Menu. = = = = In Single Player mode, you can either begin a New Game -- click "New Game" to = = do this -- or you can load a specific level. If you were already in a game, = = you can choose the "Resume Game" option to return to the game immediately. = = = = In LRX, you can play the levels in any order you like. The game presents a = = total of 55 official Single Player levels. These levels in particular earn = = you gold to spend in the Cheats Menu. (You can access the Cheats Menu by = = entering the "Preferences" section from the Main Menu.) = = = = LRX also offers a very large number of additional "Custom Levels." Right now, = = all of these Custom Levels come in the form of multiplayer levels or extra = = levels. However, when you create levels with the built-in Level Editor, you will = = find your saved levels in the "Custom Levels" section. = = = = You will also notice a tab labeled "Downloaded Levels.' In addition to the = = vast number of levels prepackaged with the game, LRX gives you the option of = = downloading even more levels. Use the "CHeck Updates" button on the Main Menu = = to check for new updates (including levels). Any new downloaded levels will = = appear in the "Downloaded Levels" section. = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = IV. Multiplayer = = = = As you master LRX's Single Player mode, you will begin to look for new chall- = = enges. You will find these new challenges in the form of LRX's = = Multiplayer Mode. = = = = In Multiplayer Mode, you can either team up with up to 3 friends and work = = together to defeat the enemies and solve each level, or you can spar with those = = same 3 friends in a large variety of deathmatch game modes. = = = = To play LRX Multiplayer Mode, you will need to either create a game or join a = = game. = = = = A. Create a Game = = = = If either no game is avaliable to join or you simply want to create = = your own game, select the "Host Multiplayer" option. You will see = = an in-depth setup screen. From here you can customize nearly every = = aspect of the multiplayer experience. Assign the number of = = lives each player has, add enemy bots, set kill goals, or use any = = number of other settings to make your own unique mulitplayer game. = = = = 1. Kill Goals = = = = When you set a Kill Goal, you're specifying the number of kills = = a player must achieve to win. If you set Player Kills to 5, = = then that player must kill the other player(s) 5 times to = = win. The same idea applies to Enemy Kills and Total Kills. = = = = a) Self Kills = = = = It seems silly, but you can even set a kill that requires = = a player to kill themself a certain number of times to = = win. One game idea that incorporates this setting is = = "Goalie Mode." Here, one player must kill themself = = a number of times, while the other player must kill the = = first player a number of times. Thus, the second = = player must essentially stop the first player from killing = = themself by killing them first. Cool, huh? :) = = = = 2. Gold Capture = = = = In Gold Capture, a player must capture a certain number of gold = = bars in order to win. If you set this value higher than the = = number of gold bars that actually exist in a level, the game will = = automatically reduce it to the number of gold in the level when = = the round officially begins. = = = = If any player has to pick up gold in a level, any player who = = does not need gold cannot pick it up; this allows the player = = who does need it the chance to actually get it. = = = = 3. King of the Hill = = = = LRX also sports a King of the Hill mode. This mode requires = = you to stand alone in the hill (highlighted by a green box) for = = approximately 20 seconds. = = = = To enable King of the Hill mode, simply set the KOTH goal for any = = player to a nonzero value. = = = = a) Warning Time = = = = You can leave the hill (voluntarily or by death) = = for up to 10 seconds at a time. A progress meter at = = the bottom of the rectangle will show you how close to = = 10 seconds you have come. Once you have exceeded this = = warning time, the hill resets to default and anybody can = = claim it once again. = = = = b) Possession = = = = TO gain time on the hill, you must be alone on the = = hill; no enemy or player can be on the hill with you. = = = = c) Movement = = = = The game itself decides upon the hill's location. Each = = time a player captures a hill, the hill will move to = = another location. = = = = 4. Keep the Flag = = = = In Keep the Flag mode, you must maintain possession of the flag = = for a certain number of minutes. Your time remains cumulative; = = thus, you can lose the flag at one time, pick it up later, and = = resume from the time you left off at. = = = = To enable Keep the Flag mode, simply set the Flag MInutes goal = = for any player to a nonzero value. = = = = a) Picking up the Flag = = = = To grab the flag, you only need to run over it. = = = = You cannot drop the flag until you are killed. = = = = 5. Starting Lives/etc. = = = = Here, you will decide how many lives each player will have at = = the beginning of the game. = = = = Similar settings include the number of bombs, ropes, and gas = = cans each player will begin with. = = = = 6. Turbo Mode = = = = If a player is operating in Turbo Mode, they will move at 2x = = normal speed! Watch your step! = = = = 7. Dark Mode = = = = In Dark Mode, all but a small portion of the action in a level = = appears hidden from you. You only can see a small circle = = around your player. = = = = This mode can be fun in gold collecting modes; make one = = player play in Dark Mode and have to find all of the gold = = while another player without Dark Mode hunts them down. = = = = Another fun preset mode, "Alone in the Dark," places all = = players in dark mode and at the mercy of several unforgiving = = Bomber Enemies. May the last survivor win! = = = = 8. Must Reach All Limits = = = = If you want a player to have to reach 2 or more goals in a game = = -- for instance, 10 Player Kills along with 2 minutes with the = = flag -- you can check this box. This box requires the player to = = reach each and every goal in order to win. = = = = On the other hand, if you leave this box unchecked, you can set = = a variety of goals and only need to reach one of them to win. = = = = 9. Additional Enemies = = = = Use this setting to add up to 4 of each type of enemy to the = = game. More enemies will require more bandwidth, so if = = you find having 8 enemies slows the game down, just lower it to = = a lower number (say, 3 or 4) and everything should work fine. = = = = 10. Load Map Items = = = = By default, LRX loads all items -- bombs, ropes, etc. -- onto a = = map. If you want to play a game without those default items, you = = can uncheck this option. = = = = 11. Respawn Items = = = = Again by default, all items will respawn after a short while. If = = you prefer that items do not respawn, simply uncheck this = = option and they will respawn no more. = = = = 12. Load Default Enemies = = = = Generally, multiplayer maps do not contain any predefined = = enemies; most maps leave it to the user to decide how many, if = = any, enemies to add. If you want to play deathmatch on a = = single player level without enemies, though, you may need to = = uncheck this option. = = = = 13. Cooperative Mode = = = = To enable Cooperative Mode, check this option. = = = = In cooperative mode, you cannot begin with any extra items. You = = only have one life, also. The game will continue until all = = players have died or any one player has reached the exit. = = = = 14. Presets = = = = To help you get started quickly, LRX provides a variety of preset = = game scenarios. To access these, simply click the "Preset" = = button. Click on any listed mode to load that particular preset. = = = = a) Saving your own Presets = = = = You can also create and save your own custom preset modes. = = = = To do this, first set all of the options and settings you = = need (everything is saved). Then, in the chat box, type: = = = = /save [name] = = = = Here, [name] represents the name of your preset mode. = = For instance, you might use /save MyCoolMode. Then, you = = can load MyCoolMode from the Preset list the next time = = you play a game of multiplayer. = = = = (Note: YOu must return to the Main Menu and in turn = = return to the Multiplayer setup screen for your new = = Preset to appear.) = = = = B. Join a Game = = = = To join a game of multiplayer, first choose the "Join Multiplayer" option = = from the Multiplayer Menu. = = = = You will now see a box without any games listed. Click the "Get Games" = = button at the bottom of the box. LRX will then search for any current = = games of LRX. It will list any game it can find in the box. = = = = 1. Direct Connect = = = = If you feel certain that a game exists on a friend's computer but = = it does not appear in the game list, you can connect to that = = other computer directly. Simply enter the IP Address fo the = = computer you wish to connect to and click "Go!". = = = = C. Stat Tracking = = = = One of the most fun elements of LRX Multiplayer Mode lies in its vast = = stat tracking capabilities. LRX can record the result of each game = = you play for later perusal at the official LRX website. = = = = Website: http://mikdot.allhyper.com = = = = To take advantage of this great feature, however, you will need an = = account, and you will have to login to the account quickly before you = = begin. You can visit the website to register an account easily; logging = = in proves even simpler. = = = = When you first enter the Multiplayer Menu, you will see a box at the left. = = Simply enter your username and password (case sensitive: e.g., = = johndoe is different than JOHNDOE), and then hit enter or press "Submit." = = As long as you correctly entered your information, the game should = = log you in immediately. = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = V. Level Editor = = = = LRX comes with a built-in, completely functional level editor. I used it to = = create every level in the game. = = = = The editor is very easy to use. To access the editor, select the "Level = = Editor" option on the Main Menu. There, you can either edit an existing level or = = create your own level. = = = = Note: You cannot edit Single Player levels. = = = = Once you are in the editor, simply follow the easy-to-understand instruc- = = tions. A scrolling tip box at the left will provide you with additional hints. = = You will use the "Select Brush" option predominantly. = = = = A. Sharing Levels = = = = If you have some levels you would to share, you have 2 options. = = = = 1. Send them to Me = = = = If you would like, you can e-mail the levels to me at: = = = = tetratris@yahoo.com = = = = I will be happy to play them and even add them to the download = = list for everyone who plays the game to download. = = = = Feel free to add a help sign to any level you make with your name = = iisted as the author! = = = = Remember, you will find any new levels you make in the "Custom Levels" section = = of the Load Level screen. = = = ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== = = = VII. Etc. = = = = I'd like to thank you again for trying my game, and I truly hope you enjoy it. = = I would also enjoy battling you in a game of multiplayer if you ever have a = = chance; of course, I'd be perfectly willing to play a peaceful cooperative = = game as well. :) = = = = All content in the game has been created by me. I can't lay claim to the concept = = though. Doug Smith created the original Lode Runner. You can read a fun recap = = of the history of Lode Runner at the LRX Official Website. = = = = If you have any questions, comments, concerns, complaints, compliments, = = queries, or anything else, feel free to e-mail me at tetratris@yahoo.com. = = = = Remember to use the "Check Updates" feature to check for new levels; I'll be = = adding more all the time! = = = = Thanks again for trying my game; I very much appreciate it. = = = ======================================================================================