BREAKFREE version 1.2 A 3D Arcade Action Game by Software Storm Copyright (c) 1995, 1996 by Software Storm, Inc. Table of Contents ================= [1] Getting Started [1.1] Introduction [1.2] System Requirements [1.3] Installation [2] Game Play [2.1] The Object of BreakFree [2.2] BreakFree Game Elements [2.3] Playing BreakFree [2.4] BreakFree Hints and Tips [3] Troubleshooting [3.1] Could not find level [3.2] Sound problems [3.3] Game pauses between keystrokes [3.4] Technical Support [4] Ordering BreakFree from Software Storm [4.1] The Shareware Version [4.2] The Registered Version [4.3] Ordering the Registered Version [4.4] Contacting Software Storm [5] License Statement 1 - Getting Started =================== 1.1 - Introduction ================== Welcome to BreakFree, a fast paced, first person, 3D action game of demolition and escape. You will use fireballs and fire your gun to destroy all of the walls on each level, and escape to the next level. Each new level presents a new playing field to defeat. You will learn to move to keep your fireballs in play, and to use your guns to break free from each level in the shortest time possible. Escape from all of the levels, and you win. Run out of fireballs and ammunition, and you are trapped in the playing field forever... This game is marketed by a method known as shareware. The shareware version contains a few levels so you can try the game out before you buy it. The shareware version can be thought of as a free sample, or a playable demo. If you like it, you may recieve the full, registered version by sending a registration fee to Software Storm. Please visit us at our World Wide Web Site, to find out about our company, and other software titles we offer. We are planning several other great game titles in the near future, so check back often to see our latest offerings. Our site is: http://www.software-storm.com 1.2 - System Requirements ========================== BreakFree requires: A 20-MHz 386 system or faster 2 Megabytes of memory BreakFree also supports: Sound Blaster Sound Board (or 100% compatible) 1.3 - Installation ================== Installing the shareware version of BreakFree is very easy, the files are distributed in a ZIP file. Simply unzip the files into any directory you choose, and you are ready to play. The registered version of BreakFree comes with an install program. Run the install program (INSTALL.EXE) to install BreakFree onto your hard disk. The files are distributed in a compressed format, so they must be installed before they can be used. Once you have installed the files, play BreakFree by running BRKFREE.EXE from the DOS command line. BreakFree is not a Windows program, and best performance will be achieved by running it from the DOS command line. However, it does perform quite well in a Windows 95 DOS box. You may need to set up a BLASTER= environment variable for BreakFree to work with your Sound Blaster or compatible sound card. Please see the section on sound problems in the troubleshooting chapter for information. 2 - Game Play ============= 2.1 - The Object of BreakFree ============================= The object of the game is to break free from each level by destroying all the breakable walls with your fireballs. You have a limited number of fireballs with which to break out of all the levels in the game. When you lose the last fireball, the game is over. 2.2 - BreakFree Game Elements ============================= Walls: There are many different types of walls in the game, but they fall into four general categories: - unbreakable walls. The ball will bounce off these. - breakable walls. The fireball destroys these. - power drain walls. These walls consume the fireball. Usually, power drain walls are behind you. - special effect walls. Special Effect Walls: Some walls have special properties or exhibit special behavior during play. Usually, these walls are marked, but not always. Some walls require multiple hits to be destroyed. Objects: Some walls release objects when they are destroyed. Some objects are good - try to catch them. Other objects are bad and should be avoided. You will have to learn which are which as you play. Objects also fall into several categories: - bonus objects. You receive a bonus if you catch these. - penalty objects. You are penalized if you catch these. - gun (and ammo). You will be able to shoot if you catch this. If you catch a second gun, it adds to your ammo count. - different types of balls. These have interesting effects in the game that you will have to learn by trying them out. 2.3 - Playing BreakFree ======================= Starting a new game: To start a new game, choose "NEW GAME" from the Main Menu. You will be prompted to select from one of three difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Below are some of the items which vary depending on the setting: - number of fireballs you start with - ball speed - number of bullets you receive with a gun Playing: Launch your fireballs by pressing the space key. Your fireballs and other objects will bounce off the walls in front of you, and return towards you. You need to keep your fireballs in play by bouncing them off an invisible paddle directly in front of you. You must constantly predict where each fireball will return, and move yourself to intercept it. Movement: During game play, you can move forward, backward, and from side to side. Moving forward and back is especially important for controlling where the fireballs will bounce, and thus how long it takes to break free from a level. You can move with either the arrow keys or the mouse. Key Summary: Arrow keys = move up/back/left/right +/- keys = resize the main view screen Space = launch more fireballs S = toggle sound on/off W = Warp to a level Ctrl = fire gun (only if you have a gun) Esc = show the Main Menu F1 = show online help screens Screen: The top of the screen has the main view screen, where the game action takes place. Located at the bottom of the screen are several fields which indicate your current play status: +--------+ +-------------------+ +-----+ +-----+ +--------+ | ammo | | level name | |lev.#| |timer| | | | count | +-------------------+ +-----+ +-----+ | | | | +----------+ +--------------+ | | | weapon | | SCORE | | score | | radar | | | +----------+ +--------------+ | | | | +-----------------------------------+ | | | | | fireballs remaining and in play | | | +--------+ +-----------------------------------+ +--------+ - ammo count/weapon. Shows gun (if any) and ammo remaining. - level name. This is used for warping. - level number. - timer. This shows the time remaining to complete the level. You get bonus points for completing a level before the timer runs out. - score. - fireballs remaining. Empty circles are balls currently in play. - radar. This displays an overhead view of the current level. Colors in the radar indicate different items: dark red = unbreakable walls light red = breakable walls dark grey = power drain walls yellow = fireballs in play green = you Watch the radar to keep track of the fireball when it goes out of view on the main view screen! Shooting: On some levels, guns and ammo can be found. In order to get a gun you must capture it (similar to the other bonus objects). Once you have a gun, use the Ctrl key to shoot. Be careful, because your first inclination is to use the space bar, which will launch fireballs instead. Use your ammunition wisely. It can be carried over from level to level, and you can save it for hard-to-get walls. Pausing: If for some reason you get interrupted while playing the game, or just need to stop and collect your thoughts, you can pause the game by pressing the Esc (escape) key to get to the Main Menu. From the Main Menu you can continue playing exactly where you left off by selecting the RESUME GAME option. Scoring: You get points for every wall that you destroy. The number of points per wall increases with higher levels. Therefore, you can warp past some of the beginning levels and still get a high score. When you complete a level, you get a bonus for the balls that are still in play, and for any time remaining on the timer. Warping: Every level has a name. When you get to each level, write down the level's name. Using the name, you can warp to that level any time you want. Often you will want to start a new game (to establish the difficulty setting), then warp directly to a level to keep playing where you left off. Winning: If you can break free from all the levels with your fireballs and other items you find along the way, you have escaped and you win the game! Even if you don't finish all the levels, you may get a score which is one of the greatest of all time. If so, at the end of the game you will be asked for your name, to go on the high score list. You may view the high score list at any time by selecting SHOW HIGH SCORES from the Main Menu. 2.4 - BreakFree Hints and Tips ============================== * A good way to control the ball is by is by hitting the edges of the paddle. For example, if you hit the ball on the left side of the paddle (the left side of the main view screen), the ball will bounce more towards the left. * You may launch a ball even if you already have one in play. Sometimes it is useful to finish off a level faster by having more than one ball in play. But be warned, it is VERY difficult to keep multiple balls in play for a long period of time. (Hint: you might to do this only when you are almost finished with a level.) * You get a bonus for each ball still in play at the end of each level. Plus, each ball is added to your fireballs remaining. * Pay attention to the radar to keep track of where the ball is. The fireball can go behind walls and come out in a different place. Sometimes, the ball will change direction when you can't see it. It is generally a good idea to watch the radar whenever the ball goes out of view on the main view screen. * Move forward and back to control where the fireball bounces. This is the key to finishing levels before the time runs out. Often, as you get to the end of a level, there are just one or two hard-to-get walls left. By moving forward and back, you have much more control of where the fireball will bounce. For example, in the case below where there is a single block left in the corner, and the ball has just bounced off the back wall, then if you stay at the back of the level, the ball will bounce off the paddle and miss the block. (see below) +-------------------+ +-------------------+ |[] / \ | |[] | | * \ | | * | | | | / / | | | | / / | | | | \ / | | | | \ / | | | | \ / | | | | \/ | | -- | | -- | However, if you move up to intercept the ball, you can reflect it directly at the remaining block. (see below) +-------------------+ +-------------------+ |[] / \ | |[] | | * \ | | * / | | | | \ / | | | | \ / | | | | \/ | | | | -- | | | | | | | | | | __ | | | 3 - Troubleshooting =================== 3.1 - Could not find level ========================== If you are attempting to warp to a level, and you get the message "Could not find level", try warping again, checking to make sure that you spell the destination level name correctly. If you get the message again, you may have written the level name down wrong. 3.2 - Sound problems ==================== If you have a SoundBlaster or compatible sound card, but the game does not play digital sounds (either the game produces no sound at all, or only produces sounds through the PC speaker), then you may not have your sound card configured properly, or you may not have your BLASTER environment variable set. Type SET at the DOS command prompt, and you will see a list of DOS environment variables. You should see a line starting with "BLASTER=", followed by some settings, like "A220 D1 I7". These settings indicate the I/O port, the DMA channel, and the interrupt number for your sound card. If you do not have an environment variable like this, then you will need to set one in order for BreakFree to use your sound card. When your sound card was installed, it was configured with an I/O port, a DMA channel and an interrupt number (IRQ). If you know what these options are, you can use the DOS SET command to create a DOS environment variable which BreakFree can use. For example, if your sound card is at I/O port 220 (hex), uses DMA channel 1 and interrupt (IRQ) number 7, then you should type SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I7 at the DOS command prompt. If you place this line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it will be set every time you start your computer. 3.3 - Game Pauses Between Keystrokes ==================================== If you are using power management software, such as POWER.EXE or POWER.SYS, then the game may pause between keystrokes. If the game pauses, then starts again when you hit a key, then power management is probably shutting down your computer's microprocessor. Turn power management off to play BREAKFREE. Most power management software can be turned off from the dos prompt with the command POWER OFF. 3.4 - Technical Support ======================= If you are still having difficulty, technical support is available by e-mail. Please send a description of your problem to: support@software-storm.com 4 - Ordering BreakFree from Software Storm ========================================== We hope you enjoy playing BreakFree. BreakFree is distributed in two different versions, a shareware version, and a registered version. The shareware version of the game is free, but the registered version must be purchased from Software Storm. 4.1 - The Shareware Version =========================== The shareware version of BreakFree is our way of advertising the game to potential customers. The shareware version of BreakFree contains only a few levels, and is essentially a free sample, or a playable demo of the full game. The shareware version is clearly marked as such by the appearance of the word "Shareware" on the title screen, and on the closing screen which appears after you choose to exit the game. You can play the shareware version of BreakFree as much as you like for free. You may copy it and give it to your friends as much as you like. You may also, upload it to your favorite bulletin board systems, on-line services, and software archives. In fact, we would like you to distribute the shareware version of BreakFree like crazy because we want as many people as possible to be able to try it out. If you choose to distribute copies of the shareware version of BreakFree, please keep all of the files together, as released by Software Storm. And, please don't sell it without our permission. If you are a Shareware Vendor, the license agreement contains the terms under which you may sell the shareware version of BreakFree. 4.2 - The Registered Version ============================ The registered version of BreakFree contains over seventy levels of heart pounding, gut wrenching demolition. The registered version contains the full game, including more motifs, and more effects. If you liked playing the shareware version, don't stop there. Order the registered version of BreakFree from Software Storm. The Registered version of BreakFree is not free. It must be purchased from Software Storm. You should not have the registered version unless you have paid for it. If you have obtained this version without paying for it, we ask that you please do so using the form below. 4.3 - Ordering the Registered Version ===================================== The registration fee for BreakFree v1.2 is only $19.95, plus shipping and handling. We also have a BreakFree Level Editor, that allows you to modify the game's levels, or to create levels of your own for you and your friends to play. The BreakFree Level Editor is only $9.95 plus shipping. Register both BreakFree, and the BreakFree Level Editor at the same time for only $24.95, and save $5.00. Shipping is $3.00 for United States orders and $5.00 for international orders. Please print and fill out the Software Storm order form and send it with your check or money order. The order form is in the text file ORDER.FRM, and it is also at the end of this text file. Send your orders to: Software Storm P. O. Box 2029 Orem, UT 84059 Please note that all prices are in US Dollars. Payment must be made in US Dollars, and drawn against a US Bank. We are sorry, but we are unable to accept international checks. International customers may send an international money order, payable in US Dollars. These can generally be obtained from your post office, or a large bank. Thank you! 4.4 - Contacting Software Storm =============================== All correspondence should be sent to: Software Storm P. O. Box 2029 Orem, UT 84059 Software Storm may be also be reached by e-mail: storm@software-storm.com Please visit our World Wide Web site: http://www.software-storm.com 5 - License Statement ===================== Limited Use Software License Agreement By installing, or by loading or by executing the Software, or by distributing the Software, you agree to be bound by this Agreement's terms and conditions. 1. Grant of License. This software product (the "Software") is owned by Software Storm, Inc., and is protected by copyright law and International treaty provisions. Software Storm grants to you a non-exclusive license to use and to distribute the Software as set forth in this agreement (the "Agreement"). 2. Conditions of Use. You may install the Software onto a hard disk or other storage device, and you may load the Software into your computer's memory and execute it. If the Software is or contains a Level Editor, you are permitted to use it to create additional levels to be used by yourself and other licensees of the Software under this Agreement. You may make one copy of the Software for archival or backup purposes. You may permanently transfer your rights under this agreement, provided you also transfer to the transferee all copies of the Software, and provided the transferee agrees to the term and conditions of this Agreement. 3. Restrictions of Use. You may not rent or lease the Software. You may not modify, translate, disassemble, reverse compile, or reverse engineer the Software for any purpose. You may not create derivative works based on the Software, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement. You may not ship, transfer, or export the Software into any country in violation of United States Law, or use the Software in violation of any applicable law. 4. Shareware Distribution. If this software product is a shareware product ("Shareware"), it will be clearly marked as such by the appearance of the word "Shareware" on the title screen of the Software. If the Software is not Shareware, you must not distribute the Software. If the Software is Shareware, you may and are encouraged to distribute it without charging for it by copying it, or uploading it to any bulletin board system, on-line service, or software archive. All of the Software's files as released by Software Storm, must be included without modification in any distribution. 5. Distribution for fee. If the Software is Shareware, Shareware Vendors and others may distribute the Software for a fee if the following conditions are met: You must clearly show the name "Software Storm" on the front of all packaging, and in all written descriptions, including catalog descriptions. You must clearly mark both the front and back of all packaging, and all written descriptions with the word "shareware" and clearly explain the concept of shareware, and that an additional fee to Software Storm is required to receive the registered version of the Software. All of the Software's files as released by Software Storm, must be included without modification in any distribution. You must charge less than $9 (U. S. Dollars) for the Software or any collection of software programs that contains the Software. You must obtain written permission from Software Storm to include the Shareware Software in any collection of software programs (including CD-ROMs) that will be sold for more than $9 (U. S. Dollars). 6. Warranties and Remedies. Software Storm makes no warranties, of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose as to the Software and its accompanying written documentation. You agree that your entire and exclusive remedy against Software Storm for any loss or damage caused by any defect or failure in the Software, regardless of the form of action, shall be the return of the purchase price paid, if any, or the replacement of the Software. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Utah. 7. General Provisions. Should any provision of this Agreement be held to be void, invalid, unenforceable or illegal by a court, the validity and enforceability of the other provisions shall not be affected thereby. If any provision is determined to be unenforceable, you agree to a modification of such provision to provide for enforcement of the provision's intent, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Failure of a party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not constitute or be construed as a waiver of such provision or of the right to enforce such provision. Except for other written Agreements or Licenses between Software Storm and you, you agree that this Agreement is a complete and exclusive statement of the rights and liabilities of the parties. SOFTWARE STORM ORDER FORM Name _______________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________ City _________________________ State/Province __________ ZIP _______________ Country _____________________ E-mail ______________________________________ Qty Product Description Price [ ] BreakFree v1.20 (Over 70 levels of 3D arcade action) $19.95 [ ] BreakFree Level Editor (Level Editor for BreakFree v1.2) $ 9.95 [ ] BreakFree Combo Pack (Both BreakFree and the Level Editor) $24.95 Sub-Total: $____________ Shipping and Handling [ ] USA: $3 (1-2 items), $1 each additional item [ ] INTERNATIONAL: $5 (1-2 items), $1 each additional item Ship/Hndl: $____________ Total Enclosed: $____________ (payable to SOFTWARE STORM) All prices are in US Dollars. Payment must be in US Dollars and drawn against a US Bank. International customers, you may send an international money order payable in US Dollars. These can be obtained from your post office or a large bank. We cannot accept international checks. Send orders to: Software Storm P. O. Box 2029 Orem, UT 84059 bf120 *** Thank you! ************************************************************* Have you purchased any other shareware software? [ ] Yes [ ] No Is this your first order with Software Storm? [ ] Yes [ ] No Where did you find this game?_______________________________________________ What processor do you have? (e.g.: Pentium 60 MHz) _________________________ ============================================================================ To print this order form, type: COPY ORDER.FRM PRN: