NAME¶
XBlast (TNT) - Multi-player "Blast the Others" game
SYNOPSIS¶
xblast [options]
DESCRIPTION¶
XBlast is a multi-player arcade game for X11R5/R6. The game can be played with
at least two players and up to six players. It was inspired by the
video/computer game Bomberman/Dynablaster which was to my knowledge first
programmed for NEC's PC Engine/Turbo Grafx. Other (commercial) versions of the
original game exist for IBM-PC, Atari ST, Amiga, NES, GameBoy and Super NES.
Actualized information you can obtain on the web page:¶
http://xblast.sourceforge.net/ Follow the link Player-Tutorials
LAUNCHING XBLAST¶
Just type xblast in an xconsole.
SOUND OPTIONS¶
This option is only valid when
XBlast was compiled with the optional
sound support. Freebsd, Linux and Sun should be supported.
- -ns
- This disables the sound support.
OTHER OPTIONS¶
The program
XBlast supports the following command-line options:
- -central
- This option starts the program as central server.
- -check
- This option verifies if all levels are loadable.
PLAYING XBLAST¶
The idea of the game is quite simple: "There can be only one ...". So
the aim is to blast away all the other players. Use your bombs to blast away
the other players and certain blocks (e.g. the ?-Blocks in the 1st level).
Below some of these blocks there are extras.
The program
XBlast can be played locally or in network. After you started
XBlast it will display an intro. The next step will show you the
"Main Menu". In the "Main Menu" you can decide if you want
to start a local game, join a network game or host a network game. For
detailed information please go to the web site.
CONTROLS¶
The following will explain the default bindings. These keys control the first
(right) player at your display:
- KP_8, KP_Up
- Player starts walking up.
- KP_2, KP_Down
- Player starts walking down.
- KP_4, KP_Left
- Player starts walking to the left.
- KP_6, KP_Right
- Player starts walking to the right.
- KP_5
- Player stops (in the center of the next block).
- KP_0, KP_Insert
- Player drops a bomb (in the center of the current
block).
- Return, KP_Add
- Player uses special function (e.g. remote control, special
bombs).
- KP_Subtract
- Pause of level in Local Game.
- KP_Multiply
- Request to abort the level.
- KP_Divide
- Cancel abort request.
The following keys control the second (left) player at your display:
- T
- Player starts walking up.
- V, B
- Player starts walking down.
- F
- Player starts walking to the left.
- H
- Player starts walking to the right.
- G
- Player stops (in the center of the next block).
- Space
- Player drops a bomb (in the center of the current
block).
- Tab
- Player uses special function (e.g. remote control, special
bombs).
- P
- Pause of level in Local Game.
- A
- Request to abort of level.
- Z
- cancel abort request.
A single player can use both key sets for playing. Furthermore the following
keys effect all players:
- P
- pause game, resume game after pause.
- Escape
- Go to previous menu.
Please note that since
XBlast 2.7.x the keybindings can be customised via
Options Menu Controls (see also
http://blast.sf.net/ ).
There are many extras to be found in xblast. Most of the time they can be found
under blastable blocks, sometimes they are just lying around. The following
extras can be found in nearly any level. You will keep these extras until you
have lost all your lives or the level ends. See the web site for actualized
information.
- Bomb (red frame)
- This extra increases the number of bombs you can drop by
one.
- Flame (yellow flame)
- This extra increases the range of your bombs by one
field.
Furthermore in several levels the following symbol can be found:
- Skull (cyan frame)
- This is not really an extra, but you will be infected with
an random illness when picking it up. You will be healed automatically
after a certain time, or if you loose one life. Additionally you can
infect other players while being ill by running past them.
In many levels there is also a special extra. There will always be only one type
of special extra per level and you will loose it if you loose a life. The
following special extras can be found:
- Kick extra (moving bomb in blue frame)
- This extra enables you to kick bombs by running into
them.
- Invincibility (star in golden frame)
- This extra makes you invincible for some time. You are not
killed by explosions, stunned by moving bombs, nor infected by
skulls.
- Global Detonator (button in deep pink frame)
- Picking up this extra ignites all bombs on the map. Use
with care.
- Construction Bombs (bricks and bombs in firebrick
frame)
- This extra gives you construction bombs as special bombs.
These bombs create a blastable block when exploding. Use the special key
to drop them.
- Remote Control (button box in spring green
frame)
- This extra enables you to ignite all your bombs by pressing
the special key.
- Teleport Extra (beaming player in orchid frame)
- This extra enables you to beam away to a random location.
You must be in the center of a block to activate it. Use the special key
to teleport.
- Airpump (clouds in sky blue frame)
- This extra enables you to blow away (not to blast away)
bombs within a range of 2 fields. It also works when your are trapped
between two bombs. Use the special key to activate it.
- Napalm Bombs (burning bombs in orange red
frame)
- This extra allows you to drop a high powered napalm bomb
using the special key. This bomb has a much larger explosion than normal,
and is bigger if you have more Flames. If the bomb is struck with an
explosion, it will explode as a normal bomb. For the large explosion to
occur, it must explode on its own.
- Firecrackers (firecrackers in orange frame)
- This extra allows you to drop firecracker bombs with the
special key. Firecracker bombs set off a series of explosions that can
clear away a small area. One in ten firecracker bombs is high powered and
clears away a much larger area. There is no way to tell if a firecracker
is high powered or not until it explodes. Unlike napalm bombs there is no
way to stop the firecracker explosion, although it is blocked by walls and
other solid objects.
- Pyro bombs (firecrackers in orange frame)
- This extra allows you to drop pyro bombs with the special
key. Pyro bombs explode with a series of small explosions that dance
around the level. These explosions are blocked by walls and other bombs
but are able to travel through corridors with ease. They explode randomly
and cannot be controlled. Pyro bombs have the same range irrespective of
how many flame extras you have. Even if the bomb is struck with an
explosion it will still explode as pyro bomb.
- Junkie Virus (syringe in yellow green frame)
- This extra infects you with the junkie virus. Whilst you
have the junkie virus you are randomly infected with illnesses (as if you
were picking up skulls). You MUST touch other players to pass on the
illness within a certain time limit or you will lose a life. Any touched
players are given the junkie virus as well. There is currently no way to
get rid of the junkie virus (but look for a rehabilitation centre in the
next release). :)
- Poison (black skull in steel blue frame)
- This extra?! cost you one of your lives. So avoid to step
on it. At least if you are not currenlty invincible.
- Spinner (looks like normal floor)
- When picking up this extra you will be stunned for some
time. Your opponents might want to blast you while you are spinning.
- Speed (moving head in light blue
frame)
- This extra enables you too run twice as fast as normal. Try
to overtake other players and catch them between bombs.
- Mayhem (moving head and bomb in blue
frame)
- This extra gives you speed and kicking. Make the best of
it.
- Holy Grail (a grail with blue light in white
frame)
- This extras transfers life energy to you from your
opponents. Be sure you are the one to get there first.
- Life (head and first aid kit in red
frame)
- This extra increases your number of lifes by one. Comes in
handy while in "hot" environments.
- Random (question mark in light blue
frame)
- Picking up this extra will give you one of the following
extras:
Speed, Poison, Invincibility, Spinner, Air Pump or Life.
Avoid it if you have only one life left.
- Cloak (vanishing player in violet
frame)
- This extras allows you to cloak yourself using the special
key. You become invisible for all other players. The extras wears out
after a certain time of use.
- Morph (bomb with eyes in green
frame)
- Get this extra to morph into a bomb with the special key.
You still move as a bomb although you cannot alter course while on the
run. You cannot be harmed by explosions while you are a bomb. Beware not
to be kicked in the wall while the level shrinks.
GAME RESOURCES¶
These resources define the rest of the game setup of xblast. They will be taken
from the following sources (in the given order):
- 1.
- internal defaults
- 2.
- the directory "~/.xblast_tnt"
DISPLAY RESOURCES¶
These resources are read separately for each display used in xblast. They are
read only from the following sources (in the given order):
- 1.
- internal defaults
- 2.
- the directory "~/.xblast_tnt"
- 3.
- the server resources of the default display (can be set
using xrdb).
BUGS¶
If you found one go to the web site and tell us.
COPYRIGHT¶
Copyright (C) 1993-2005, Oliver Vogel.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the GNU General Public Licences as published by the Free Software
Foundation; either version 2; or (at your option) any later version
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be entertaining, but
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc. 59 Temple
Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
AUTHORS¶
- Oliver Vogel (Main Author)
- vogel@ikp.uni-koeln.de
- Garth Denley (Coauthor)
- g0denley@teaching.cs.adelaide.edu.au
- Norbert Nicolay (Linux Sound Support, optional)
- nicolay@ikp.uni-koeln.de
- Koen (central, SMPF, teammode on TNT, bugcatcher)
- EPFL
- Belgium Guys
- Skywalker (epfl port, laola, some game functions, user
friendliness, Shapes)
- Kruno Sever (Major network review, Chat, bugcatcher)
CONTRIBUTORS¶
Xavier Caron - x-caron@es2.fr
Chris Doherty - cpdohert@teaching.cs.adelaide.edu.au
Patrick Durish - dri@eup.siemens-albis.ch
Keith Gillow - ...@...
Rob Hite - hite@tellabs.com
Christophe Kalt - kalt@hugo.int-evry.fr
Joachim Kaltz - kaltz@essi.fr
Laurent Marsan - mbaye@univ-mlv.fr
Pierre Ramet - ramet@labri.u-bordeaux.fr
Mike Schneider - schneid@tellabs.com
Mark Shepherd - ...@...
Rob, Simon and Tristan - ...@...
Xbresse
Gerfried Fuchs
Rado
Ifi
Bombenfutter
Galatius
Garth Denley
Stephan Natschlaeger
Amilhastre
Fouf
ALu
Larsl
Stefan Stiasny