(Based on "Agendaroids")
by Bill Kendrick [email protected]
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/vectoroids/
November 30, 2001 - April 20, 2002
Version 1.2.0
"Vectoroids" is a vector-based rock-shooting game similar to the arcade classic "Asteroids." It is an SDL game based on the source for "Agendaroids," an X-Window game written for the Agenda VR3 Linux-based PDA written by the same author.
(This game is being entered into the "SDL Game Under 1 Megabyte" contest held by No Starch Press / Loki Entertainment Software in late 2001.)
"Vectoroids" uses the Simple DirectMedia Layer multimedia library (aka "libSDL"), as well as two helper libraries: "SDL_image" and, optionally (for music and sound) "SDL_mixer".
All three of these are available from the official SDL website: http://www.libsdl.org/
To compile the game from its source, simply invoke the command "make":
$ make
If you wish to build the game with no sound support (ie, SDL_mixer is not available, or you don't have a sound card), you can build the 'nosound' target:
$ make nosound
If you wish to build the game with no joystick support (ie, you're using a very old version of libSDL, which doesn't support joysticks), you can add the setting "JOY=NO" to the 'make' command. For example:
$ make JOY=NO
If you wish to have Vectoroids and/or it's data files (sound, music and graphics) installed somewhere other than the default location of "/usr/local/bin/" and "/usr/local/share/vectoroids/", you can override the "PREFIX" and/or "DATA_PREFIX" values used by the Makefile.
For example:
$ make PREFIX=/home/username/
...will cause the "vectoroids" program to be copied into the directory '/home/username/bin/', the data files copied into the directory '/home/username/share/vectoroids/', and the man pages copied into '/home/username/man/man6/'.
Or:
$ make PREFIX=/usr DATA_PREFIX=/opt/games/vectoroids-data/
...will cause the program to be copied into '/usr/bin/', the data files into '/opt/games/vectoroids-data/', etc.
(You can also edit the Makefile manually, if you wish.)
Once compiled, you must now install the program. You do this by running 'make' with an "install" target.
If you're copying the files to a directory you can't write into (eg, normal users should not be able to write into "/usr/local/bin/"), you will need to temporarily switch to the 'superuser' (aka "root").
$ su
Password: [enter the root password]
# make install
# exit
If, for some reason, you wish to keep the unarchived "vectoroids/" directory around, but want to delete the compiled object and program files, you can run:
make clean
Once installed (assuming the directory in which the "vectoroids" program file was copied is listed somewhere in your shell's "$PATH" environment variable; it should be), simply call the program:
$ vectoroids & [the "&" is optional, and just puts the game's
process in the 'background,' so that your terminal
remains available for more commands]
Available command-line options:
Info Options:
-------------
--help Displays a brief help message explaining the game
-h and its controls, and then quits.
--usage Displays the available command-line options, and
-u then quits.
--version Displays the version of the program which is being
-v run, and then quits.
--copying Displays copyright information, and then quits.
-c
Settings:
---------
--fullscreen If possible, the game will run in fullscreen mode,
-f rather than in a window.
--nosound Disables sound and music.
-q
The title screen displays the title and credits.
The high score is displayed at the top of the screen. If a game has been played since loading Vectoroids, the last score is displayed just below. (If it is the same as the high score, it will be blinking.)
-
To begin a game, click the word "START" with the mouse. Unless the "CONTINUE" option is available, pressing [Space] on the keyboard, or pushing any button on the joystick will also start a new game.
-
To continue a paused game, click "CONTINUE" with the mouse. If this option is available, pressing [Space] or pushing a joystick button will also continue the current game.
-
To quit, either close the game's window, or press the [Escape] key on your keyboard. (Note: Any currently-paused game will be saved, so when you run Vectoroids again later, you can continue where you left of.)
The game can be played with either the keyboard, or a joystick. (The joystick must have at least two axes (directions) and two fire buttons.)
-
[Left] / [Right] on the keyboard [Left] / [Right] on the joystick
Rotate ship counter-clockwise and clockwise, respectively.
-
[Up] on the keyboard [Fire-A] on the joystick
Thrusts the ship in the direction it is currently facing.
-
[Space] on the keyboard [Fire-B] on the joystick
Fires a bullet in the direction the ship is facing.
-
Either [Shift] on the keyboard
Re-spawns your ship after you die, even if the game thinks there are still too many asteroids near the center of the screen...
The following is displayed at the top of the screen during the game, from left to right:
-
Score: Your current score.
-
Level: The level of the game you are currently playing.
-
Lives: Miniature spaceships which represent how many extra lives you have left.
Also, sometimes text (for example, what level you are on when you enter a new level) appears on the center of the screen for a moment.
Each rock you shoot (or crash into) gains you points. The smaller the rock, the more points you gain.
Every 10,000 points, you also receive an extra ship.
After all rocks have been destroyed, you move on to the next level, which begins with more rocks than the previous started with...
Original "Agendaroids" by Bill Kendrick [email protected]
May 21, 2001 - October 9, 2001 (version of code-base used)
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/agendaroids/
SDL Port by Bill Kendrick
November 30, 2001 - December 1, 2001
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/vectoroids/
SDL2 port by Marc-Alexandre Espiaut [email protected], for Logicoq
August 17, 2023
http://logicoq.free.fr
Obtained by NASA's Voyager 1 probe - In the Public Domain
Photo taken on February 25, 1979
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-jupiter.html
Photo ID: P-2115
(Manipulated using The Gimp; http://www.gimp.org/ )
Bill Kendrick
Obtained from various free sound-effect archives on the web. (Some effects altered using Sox, by Chris Bagwell; http://home.sprynet.com/~cbagwell/sox.html )
"Decision" (decision.s3m) by Mike Faltiss (Hadji / Digital Music Kings) [email protected] April 1995
Bill Kendrick
675 Alvarado Ave., Apt. #27
Davis, Calif.
95616-0620
USA
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 530-759-1019