Bomns for Linux bomns
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------------------------ | Bomns for Linux README | ------------------------ Keith T. Fancher <discostoo at users.sourceforge.net> http://greenridge.sourceforge.net Intro/What the Hell is Bomns? ----------------------------- Bomns (the bomb with an 'n') was originally a DOS game programmed by Charles Lindsay in 1998, which immediately took the world by storm. Its simplistic deathmatch style gameplay achieved that oft-discussed but almost ne'er reached level of video game perfection. It was fun, it was addictive, and it was freely available. Of course even the greatest video game experiences can be worn by the passage of time, and Bomns was no exception. After a couple of years people stopped talking about it, new games came out, and Charles wasn't the celebrity he once was. He turned to alcohol and drugs to soothe his pain, and before long became a shiftless addict, slumming through life an injection at a time. It was around this time he met me (Keith Fancher), and we began to develop a friendship. We spent our nights drinking, snorting coke, dropping cinderblocks on cars from overpasses, engaging in acts of listless sodomy, and talking about the glory days. In was during one of these crazy nights we got an incredible idea: to collaborate on a sequel to Bomns. Bomns^2 (that's Bomns Squared), as it would come to be called, would be even more revolutionary than the original. We toyed with different game concepts, and out of our brainstorming sessions Bomns gameplay staples like warps, health, and punching the other player were born. In perhaps a week of furious programming we had realized our vision: the ultimate Bomns experience. Charles was back from the gutter, and he brought me with him. We rode this wave of success for a while, but the next incarnation of Bomns was never far from either of our minds. We experimented with different platforms and gameplay ideas, but for a while nothing of interest happened in the Bomns world. Then suddenly, in 2002, out of NOWHERE, it came: DXBomns. This was Charles' solo project, programming a version of Bomns using DirectX. It was, to quote Charles himself, "awesome in just about every respect." Revolutionary gameplay aspects like breakable walls and up to 4 player support made this one an instant classic. For a few months prior to this monumental event in gaming history, I had been expermimenting with the Linux operating system, and I decided that the Linux users of the world had a right--no, a need--to play Bomns, and experience the joy. I then began to work on what you are about to play: Bomns for Linux. It brings the spirit of Bomns^2 to the Linux world, with a few modern conveniences thrown in to boot. Prepare yourself. System Requirements ------------------- - SDL - get the latest version at www.libsdl.org - SDL_mixer - get the latest version at www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/ - GTK - you'll need GTK2 for the newest launcher, although there is a GTK 1.2.x version of the launcher you can use - The header files for those libraries Installation ------------ Bomns for Linux has a regular GNU installation. Read the file "INSTALL" for the full details, but basically it boils down to: ./configure make make install This, by default, will build and install "bomns" (the main game), "bomnsedit" (the level editor), and "bomnslauncher2" (the GTK2 game launcher). You can change what's built by passing some of the following arguments to the configure script: --enable-launcher1 (build the GTK 1.2 launcher, which sucks) --disable-launcher2 (don't build the GTK2 launcher) --disable-editor (don't build the level editor) The default installation should be fine for most people. Playing Bomns for Linux ----------------------- The gameplay of Bomns for Linux is quite simple: just move around the level, picking up powerups and avoiding powerdowns, all the while laying bomns and plotting your opponent's desctruction. A bomn will do 5 damage to the other player player, and running into them will do 1 damage. The first to kill their opponent before the time runs out is declared the winner. Player one controls: Move : arrow keys Drop Bomn : enter Player two controls: Move : w,a,s,d Drop Bomn : spacebar Other controls: Enter/exit fullscreen mode: f Quit current game : escape Configuring Bomns for Linux --------------------------- Bomns reads its configuration from a file called "~/.bomnsrc", which will be created the first time you run the game. This is a simple text file, fairly well-commented, and it can be easily edited. Of course this should never be necessary, because you can just use the launcher, as described below. Using the Bomns for Linux Launcher ---------------------------------- The launcher is what you can use to customize your Bomns playing experience. There are several values you can change, and most of them are self-explanatory (and tooltipped, at that). Some things to note: in the "Game Settings" section there is a text entry box where you can either type in a level file to play, or open a file selection dialog to choose the level to load. This will only have an effect if you choose to "Load Level From File", as opposed to "Generate Random Level". Also: if you choose to "Load Level From File", but fail to choose a level file to load, Bomns will just generate a random level. Clicking on the "Editor" button will launch the level editor, using the level file name specified in the text box, or if that is empty, "default.lvl" in the current directory. Using the Level Editor ---------------------- The Bomns for Linux level editor is a fairly simple tool you can use to create your own custom levels in which to play. Use the keyboard or mouse to create a level, then press F2 to save it to the filename specified either on the command line, or with the launcher. The most crucial keyboard commands are layed out on the bottom of the editor screen, but here are the full controls: Keyboard Controls: Move cursor : arrow keys Stamp tile : s, spacebar, enter Delete tile : d, delete Next tile : page up Previous tile : page down Select tile : 1-9 Test level in Bomns : l Fullscreen mode : f Save level : F2 Clear level : F12 Exit editor : escape Mouse Controls: Move cursor : mouse Stamp tile : left click Delete tile : right click Next tile : mouse wheel up Previous tile : mouse wheel down Enjoy!
