

colors help file

jim bonczyk

started      -  july 16, 1991
version 1.6  -  september 5, 1991
version 1.7  -  november 9, 1991
version 1.8  -  january 11, 1992

why are you looking in here?  there are no secrets here!

#title = introduction to colors
#page

colors
version 1.8

copyright (c) 1991 by

jim bonczyk
1664 brompton road
crystal lake, il
60014

#page

this is shareware

it would be great if you registered

but either way, please distribute the whole package together

if you like it, someone else might

so put it up on another bbs,

thanks

#page

why register?

receive the next update in the mail plus all versions that have gone before

and

receive sneek peeks at the other games that i have been brewing

why not?

#title = equipment needed to play
#page

ibm pc compatible

vga graphics adapter

microsoft compatible mouse driver
(not required)

runs independent of processor speed

#title = disclaimer
#page

the program and this documentation are copyrighted by me.

you are licensed to use the software,

supply it in unmodified form,

and have fun.

#page

oh yeah,
do not charge money for it except for a small handling fee
( like $5.00 )

and i would also like to know of all shareware distribution services that wish to include this program.
go nuts kids.

#page

last but not least, i'm not responsible for anything.

this software has no warranty, expressed or implied.

that means that i cannot be held liable for any damages.

you used it, go along with it.

like this software is dangerous
( addicting maybe ).

#title = how to play
#page

on the surface colors looks quite a bit like its main inspiration, tetris.

but with a closer look, it is obvious that the strategies are different.

while the main goal of tetris is to get horizontal rows, the goal of colors is to place matching colored blocks next to each other.

#page

to advance to the next round:

remove four of the seven colors from the playing field

before the well fills up and a new piece will not fit

#page

to remove blocks:

place five or more blocks of the same color next to each other.

the group will disappear, and anything on top of the newly removed blocks will fall to the bottom.

#page

to help you out:

you can also buy a couple of different toys which give you special abilities.

earn the right to use the toys faster, by removing big groups and/or multiple groups with one falling piece.

#title = description of the toys
#page

toy - jackhammer
key - [J]
cost - 4 toy points

the jackhammer will cause blocks below it to fall to the bottom

#page

toy - least popular color
key - [C]
cost - 8 toy points

hitting the [C] key will give you a single block with the color matching the least numerous color existing in the well

#page

toy - bomb
key - [B]
cost - 12 toy points

a bomb completely destroys the eight surrounding blocks around where the bomb hits

#page

toy - inflator
key - [I]
cost - 16 toy points

an inflator causes a block to expand down, left, and right, and replaces any blocks that used to be there

#title = keys
#page

the keys:

[left arrow]
[right arrow]
[down arrow]
moves the falling piece

[keypad 5]
rotates the piece clockwise

[up arrow]
rotates the piece counter-clockwise

[space bar]
drops the falling piece all the way down

#page

[j] [c] [b] [i]
buys one of the four toys

[pause] or [num lock]
pauses/unpauses the game

[esc]
aborts the current game

[f10]
boss key - dump right to dos

#title = command line options
#page

name:

send your name on the command line

example

c:\games\colors> colors jim

#page

cheat mode:

to activate the cheat mode & receive an unlimited number of toys add the /cheat token to the command line

example

c:\games\colors> colors jim /cheat

#title = about the files
#page

the following files must be in the current directory for colors to work:

colors.exe
the executable...

smletter.dat
smletter.vga
*.vga
the graphics files

vga.pal
the vga palette

colors.hlp
the help file you are reading

#page

the following files are created when colors is run:

colors.scr
the high score file holds the top 250 scores in decending order

colors.log
the log file keeps track of the current level for all players

#page

note:

the log file and the high score file are simple text files which can be edited with a text editor
make sure you keep all of the text right justified under the column headings

#title = thanks
#page

thank you very much for the registrations that were sent.

i needed that kind of inspiration to get it past version 1.1

#title = coming soon
#page

"particle man"

a kind of pac man targ centipede thing


"conquest of a little world"

a kind of risk like thing

#title = version history
#page

0.1
[ alpha ]

also known as "another"
this version floated around the office for quite some time but without assembly language graphics routines it was pretty slow and pretty lame.

#page

0.9
[ beta ]

the first beta version

#page

1.0
[ released ]

initial release - for about 15 minutes

#page

1.1
[ released ]

fixed bug that deleted the colors.log & colors.scr files, i just used the boss key too often to notice

#page

1.2
[ beta ]

rewrote the pix unit so all graphics can be saved in one file and added a brand new look to the game

#page

1.3
[ released to registered users ]

new timing routines added
finished the new look
added my personal characters set
added a few new pieces, two diagnols and one three squares tall
made the smooth rotation effect
new statistics display
current players & all time high score now displayed
now we have a version worth playing

#page

1.4
[ released to registered users ]

aesthetics improved
better timing

#page

1.5
[ beta ]

a completely new desktop environment

mouse clickable buttons, drop shadows on consistant windows, and on line help

#page

1.6
[ released to registered users ]

new game play, now the well must be completely emptied to advance to the next level

#page

1.7
[ released to registered users ]

now the help screens are allocated and read in at boot time

cleaned up a few screen bugs

#page

1.8
[ release to registered users ]

instead of removing all the colors as in 1.7, once there are three colors left, the level ends

it was too easy with three or less colors

i have found the bottlenecks with the initialization code
the vga palette is read from a file rather than programmed, 5 times faster
vga icon files are read in abouth 3 times faster

#page

that is it

goomba boy

#end
