I've got some BALLS v1.02      (3D-engine v4.0)   
(C) Sebastian Aaltonen 1999    
-----------------------------------------------

This game is fully FREEWARE so you may copy it as much as
you want. The game is allowed to be distributed by all 
distribution channels (like collection CDs, WWW-pages and BBS 
etc.) without special authorization. Selfmade levels to the game
and other addons may be distributed freely as long as you
don't try to change the name of the author or try in any
other way to cause harm to author. If you make addons to
the game then remember also to mention that you have made them
yourself and they are not my productions. You are permitted
to make money with the game and it can be used for advertising
purposes, etc...



NOTICE!
Balls requires DirectX 6.0 to function but recommendation
is however newest possible version of DirectX because they
usually have better optimized processor's instruction set
usage (like 3dNow/SSE). Don't run any other programs on 
the background when you use the game because they can cause
sudden slowdowns and thus worsen the playability enormously.
Especially avoid launching the game from MSDOS "fullscreen" -
prompt, or you may get problems with 3d-cards because some
old 3d-cards don't recognize all of their screen modes.


About 3D-engine
---------------

[EDITED]

I've got some Balls is now over 1,5 year old game, and so is it's
3d-engine. My new Storm3Dv2 engine is over 10 times faster on T&L
cards than this old Balls' engine. Storm3D's www-site is at:
www.storm3d.cjb.net


About game making and other
---------------------------
Tappo II's last version had finally gotten to distribution and
I thought that I had enough time for the next game... But
matriculation examination took all my time... Now, however
everything is over and I've also got free-time for programming. First
I was going to start Tappo III, but then I noticed one thing:
MBNet's pages were every month full of new "cave shoot'em ups" and
more is coming... Maybe there would be demand for other kind games 
too. I myself felt in love last year with game called Action
Supercross. It was really different from the common games and it 
had before unseen ideas. I was in hook immediately.

Hopefully BALLS is also a bit more idea-rich than my former 
shoot'em ups:
Tappo II, Fight 2, Space Command 2, Tappo!, Cruiser, Fight, Star...
(In fact Tappo III got almost ready and it would had been the
world's first 3d-"cave shoot 'em up"...)


----------------------------------
I've got some BALLS game's actions
----------------------------------

Menus
-----
In menus you move with arrowkeys and select options with SPACE-button.
With ESC you get backwards. If you have altered keys then you of course
use them.

When you first time start the game, it goes automatically to SETUP menu
position. Change settings and keys to which you like. Game saves settings
and you don't have to change them in future.


Mainmenu
--------
START GAME	- Starts game. In game you go through all 12 levels.
SINGLE MAP	- In single map game you choose one level and you can
                  play it thorugh many times. This game type is useful
                  for making level records.
SETUP		- Setup menu, in which you can change game settings and keys.
QUIT		- Quits game and goes back to Windows.


Setup Menu
----------
SPECULAR: OFF / ON(NORMAL) / ON(AMD FIXED)
Toggles light's specular reflections on/off. If you own DX6.1 and AMD
3dNOW! processor then choose "AMD FIXED" otherwise select "NORMAL".
If your system's 3d card is too slow then choose "OFF" and you gain some
more speed.

ANTIALIAS: OFF / FULLSCENE
Toggles antialias. This feature works only with newest 3d-cards and
with them only if feature has been enabled from drivers. Fullscene
antialiasing 'costs' a heck lot of 3d-card's power and only the most
powerful 3d cards can maintain some kind of playable game speed.

CONTROLS
Changings key settings. You can restore default settings by deleting
file "keys.dat" from game's directory.


How do I play BALLS??
---------------------
In "I've got some BALLS" your mission is to guide a small ball through
levels full of dangers. In order to complete the level you must collect
all the diamonds. You are helped by different colored balls, to get through 
the levels, which you'll get on your use by moving through different colored 
gates. Different balls have their own special abilities.

Game controls:  (unless you have changed default settings)
Arrows    - Accelerates balls's speed to desired direction
R         - Restart level
SPACE     - Ball's special ability (jumping/braking etc.)
ESC       - From game to menu
F2        - Changes graphic-settings
F12       - Quits to Windows (fast quit)
ALT+ENTER - Toggles between fullscreen/windowed graphics mode

Different colored balls:
Red: 200% speed
Yellow: Can jump (from ACTION-button)
Blue: Shoots diamonds with electricity from distance
Green: Can brake quickly and can float in the air (from ACTION-button)

You'll get different balls on your use by moving through different
colored gates, which changes the color of your ball. The special
ability of the ball can be activated with ACTION-button (normally SPACE).

Controlling of the ball may feel difficult at the beginning but
you'll get used to it. Let's fix a common misunderstandment: 
Sidearrows DON'T turn the moving direction of the ball and the 
upper arrow doesn't accelerate ball's speed or down arrow doesn't 
deaccelerate... Rather all arrow keys work in the same way, which means 
that they INCREASE ball's speed to wanted direction. It is completely normal 
if you'll lose your nerves with the game controls during the first test
times - I have experience with it. (so don't send me a mail
about the jerkiness of the controls after the first game, but learn
those properly and you'll notice that they work well)


----------------
Balls' WWW pages
----------------

[EDITED]

Balls' WWW pages do not exist anymore. No not send me new levels or
records anymore.


----------
Map making
----------

There are now 17 levels and more of them are still needed. You can
make and distribute levels by yourself.

[EDITED]
...But easiest way is to use 3D-Studio Max because I have made a
easy converter for it which direcly makes files used by the game.
Level making instructions can be found from file MAKEMAPE.TXT.

Free Paint Shop PRO 4 suits very well to textures and background 
pictures drawing.  You can copy it from many internet sites. Of course
if you already own some commercial drawing program like Photoshop use it.
Textures' size can be 256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32 or 16x16. Background
picture recommended size is 256x256. Textures' should be saved as 24bit
colors (truecolor) and background picture can be saved in truecolor as 
well. Dont use 8bit colors (256 colors), because the 8bit textures dont
work correctly on all 3d-accelerators.


--------
Versions
--------

v0.11
+ Text drawing rutines
+ More accurate timer (0.1sec)
+ BMPs are saved in RLE-packing (reduces the size of the packet)

v0.2
+ Colliding/moving rutine has been fixed (works better on rotating and
  close to each other objects)
+ The pathbug of the points/lights has been fixed
+ Texts are scaled depending to the screen (bugfix)
+ Numerous text-informartions ("Best time", "level completed" etc.)
+ Mouse button won't bring the popup-menu anymore (mouse can be used
  better if needed)
+ You can get back to the starting menu from the game (ESC or by playing
  all levels through)
+ F12 quickquit
+ "Fadeout" to the end of the levels
+ Fps-meter back (now you can see the average fps also)
+ Instructions to make your own levels (MAKEMAP.TXT). Only in finnish at
  this version.

v0.3
+ Level loading rutines (makes own levels possible)
+ Single map -mode
+ Levels transferred to their own directory (MAPS)
+ Minor bug fixes

v0.4
+ Again a more accurate timer (0.01sec)
+ Backgrounds have been improved (loopapble from the edges)
+ Top scores -menu works now
+ Setup -menu works now
+ ... and all of the other menus work now completly
+ New level (now 5)

v0.5
+ Windows icon
+ Colliding rutines of the ball are improved (rotating objects work 
  better)
+ MIDAS-soundlibrary added for the sounds
+ Sound effects
+ Musics (argh... few years old...)
+ Minor bugs fixed
+ New map (now 6)
+ Single map -option works now more than 13 levels, now there may be 
  39 levels on the screen.

v0.6
+ 3D-ENGINE'S v3.5 completed:
  + Objects are drawn as strips instead of single polygons. Fastens 
    engine dramatically (about 30% ++)
  + Coordinates of the vertexes and normals which are near to each 
    other changed to same -> specular-reflections looks better and
    there won't be any holes between the objects anymore.
  + Optimization: Reduction of the additional vertexes/tvertexes from
    the objects.
  + Object's ADDSPEED-ability (makes bouncing floors / speedarrows 
    possible)
  + "MAKEMAP.EXE" compiler's new version. Old 3DOs won't work anymore,
    and they must be converted again. (that means your own levels)
+ Rotating objects are refreshed every tic. (now it won't go through 
  easily)
+ The "waves" of the start-menu works now in equal speed and height 
  despite the 3d-speed.
+ WHOOPS: I forgot (too hard) topscores on the previous version, now 
  emptied.

v0.9
+ Game completation thing... (when you pass-through all levels)
+ 3D-engine rotation/scaling optimizations (extra matrixes are not
  calculated -> considerable faster when there are lots of objects)
+ Fixed a bug in ADDSPEED object and detailed ADDSPEED-command 
  (makemap.txt)
+ 3D engine's route things fixing:
  + Fixed a bug in object's and light's route routines
  + Object's and light's route wait, angles, and changing velocities
  + When level begins at start ("R"-key) also object's route locations are
    resetted.
  + Now diamonds can travel through routes (like other objects).
+ Makemap.exe has been optimized (twice as fast but still SLOW)
+ Detected a bug in specular lights with AMD/DX6.1 combination.
  This bug is caused by a DirectX driver problem. Because of it
  there are two specular modes from which to choose. One normal
  and if it won't work (= white screen) then there's also other
  alternative mode (this is why now specular is off by first start 
  time)
+ New level (now 7)
+ SETUP-settings are saved
+ Bug fixed: BEST-TIME resetting between levels (records 'transfered'
  from level to level)
+ Bug fixed in menus (exitted game in wrong locations) 
+ Small bug fixed in FPS calculators
+ Replays and "Best-Time"-REPLAY saving
+ From TOP-SCORES menu you can watch "BEST-TIME"-REPLAYs
+ Key changing to SETUP menu
+ Levelmenu (Restart level/View replay/Quit to menu/Continue to next)
+ English documents (old 0.6 version)

v1.0
+ New 3d engine v4.0 (bug fixing and better materials, groups, objects, etc, 
  fullscene antialias and better extendability)
+ 5 new levels (now total 12)
+ Name letters to Besttime (finally)
+ Worldwide TOP-SCORE tables to WWW pages
+ New musics
+ New sound effects
+ Plenty of new textures and level backgrounds
+ Name's to levels
+ Mainmenu improved
  + Movement has been speed up
  + Cooler appearance 
  + No more level limitations. Now menus scroll
  + You are now always returned to right position in menus
+ Old levels fixed and improved
+ Engine's "smoothing" bug fixed
+ Visibility distance increased (2000->3000)
+ New font draw routine (handles character widths) and detailed font (64x64)
+ Gamemenu improved
  + "Return to game" option so you need not to restart the level
  if you visit the menu
  + Continue remains as option if you restart level after completing it
  + Time won't elapse in menus (you can use it as pause)
+ Ball's colliding routine has been improved (with fast speed won't go
  through walls anymore)
+ Now up to date english documents

v1.01 [FINAL]
+ 24bit textures, now works with VOODOO/G400/G200 too. Also better image
  quality.

v1.02 [FINAL]
+ Now all textures really work on G400/G200 too. I have a G400 myself
  so this patch is fully tested. 
+ Some updates in TXT-files.
+ Maps TRAPPED and CASTLECOASTER included.
+ Forgotten example map to 3d-studio now included. (MAP.MAX)

v.[EDITED]
+ Fixed this document file (new working e-mail address etc...)


--------------------------------
Producers of I've got some BALLS
--------------------------------
Designing: Sebastian Aaltonen
Programming: Sebastian Aaltonen
3d-models : Sebastian Aaltonen
Textures: Sebastian Aaltonen, Jaakko and Jukka Tapio, Heikki Visnen
Levels: Sebastian Aaltonen
Finnish documents: Sebastian Aaltonen
English documents: Ismo Horppu
Sound effects: Tommi Lahtinen
Musics: Tommi Lahtinen and Sebastian Aaltonen
Betatesting: Andrei Stepanov and Sebastian Aaltonen

Soundlibrary:
MIDAS Digital Audio System 1.1.2
Copyright 1996, 1997 Housemarque Inc.


-----------------------
If the game won't work:
-----------------------

1. Game crashes right in the beginning before any windows appear:
Ensure that you have DirectX 6.0 or newer installed. Also old drivers 
of the 3d-card and soundcard may prevent the game to work properly.

2. Game crashes when I choose my 3d-card from the list but it works in 
software RGB-emulation:
You have propably out of date or somehow non-compatible DX-drivers. Update
to the most recent version of your drivers and try again. If your 3d-card 
is not mentioned in the 3d-card list (at the beginning of the TXT) then it 
might be, that the game won't work on your card for some reason.

3. Game crashes when I choose the sound card or when game/menu starts:
Try choosing "No sound" from the SoundCard-menu in start up. If the game 
works this way without sounds you may also try to choose "Never use 
DirectSound" from Advanced-menu and then try if sounds would work.


-------------
Contact info:
-------------

EMAIL: storm3d@storm3d.cjb.net
WWW: storm3d@storm3d.cjb.net


