
XLode
=====

preview release 0.1
written by Hisham Muhammad
<loderunner@apple2.com>

http://cscience.org/~lode

This is XLode, a humble clone of the best game ever -- Lode Runner.
It was written two years ago for a Multimedia class back in college,
but only now I took the time to put this online. The game is
incomplete (hence "preview release"), but it is already playable,
and I hope to complete it, especially now that it publically released.

Please send any kind of feedback about XLode to the email address listed
above: missing features, bugs, build problems, compliments or
complaints. I really want to hear from the users, in order to make XLode
a better game.

Requirements
============

XLode requires the Allegro game programming library and the JGMOD
music library. You can find those at:

Allegro - http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/
JGMOD - http://www.geocities.com/SiliconVally/Vista/8890/jgmod/jgmod.html

XLode is known to work with Allegro versions ranging from 3.9.35 to
4.0.3rc1, other versions will probably work too. Oddly, JGMOD versions
are not numbered.

Movements
=========

The basic keys are the same as those from the Apple II version:

* I - up
* J - left
* K - down
* L - right
* U - dig left
* O - dig right

If you get stuck, suicide with ESC.

Levels
======

There is no level editor for XLode yet, but levels are stored in a
pretty straightforward ASCII format, so creating new levels should be
trivial. If you create any levels and wish to contribute to the game,
don't hesitate to sending them to me at <loderunner@apple2.com>.

To Do List
==========

What's missing at this point:

* Monks do not pick/drop treasures
* Monks do not block each other (they currently walk through)
* You can't walk over a monk's head
* Monks can't (attempt to) climb back from a digged brick
* Monks are not reborn when they die (they are currently buried in the stone)
* Stages do not feature hidden stairs that appear when you complete a level

Pixellation Studios?
====================

This is not a real company, but a kind of "pseudonym" I used to give
the game a more classic look, as if it was a game from the DOS/Amiga era.
I might use this name again, if/when I write another game.

