#06 31 мая 1996

Part 3 - Snapshot Pack VI.

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********************************
*  PART 3  - SNAPSHOT PACK VI  *
********************************

This weeks snapshot pack includes:

MANIC MINER SPECIAL!
Manic Miner Editor
Manic Miner III - Exclusive by Blood!!

ALCHEMIST NEWS  - Issue 20 of the
                  excellent Spectrum tape
                  -magazine!
VALHALLA        - Great RPG featuring real
                  AI! (Well..sort of!)
FAHRENHEIT 3000 - A Jet Set Willy clone
                  (Hey - Aren't they all?)
MONTY PYTHON    - A new breed of snapshot
                  - the SLT multiload!
EXOLON          - First in a new series
                  chronicling the games of
                  Raf Cecco!
GARFIELD        - The ever popular cartoon
                  cat in his first ever
                  game!
SPECTACLE 3     - The next in our series
                  of teletext programs!

RITMAN SPECIAL  - A collection of Jon
                  Ritman's finest games,
                  including Head Over
                  Heels, Batman, Matchday
                  and his first ever
                  effort, Namtir Raiders
                  for the ZX81!

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MANIC MINER EDITOR
By Richard Swann

Supplied by Blood

Intro
-----
Bored  of  the  continual stream of Jetset
Willy  editors,  I  recalled from my youth
owning  a  copy  of an editor called Manic
Designer which let you change the way your
Manic   Miner   levels   looked.   I  also
remembered  a  type-in  editor  for  Manic
Miner  which  was printed in YS. I decided
that  it  would be my Quest to provide the
Internet  Speccy  community with copies of
these little gems to have and to hold, and
to show their grandchildren one day.

Having  tracked  down  a  copy  of  the YS
editor, thanks to Henning (who photocopied
the  pages  and  sent  them  to me), I set
about typing it in. And lo, it is here for
you  all  to  try.  My  fingers are now on
fire. The instructions from YS are here in
full,  as  well as some little notes of my
own.  I STRONGLY SUGGEST that you read ALL
of  this  file  before  proceeding, or you
might  feel  a  bit  funny  later  on.  Or
something.

Unfortunately, the course of my life never
runs  smooth  and  I  found that my single
copy of the Manic Designer editor (which I
also intended to include here) was trashed
beyond  repair. If ANYONE could provide me
with a new copy of Manic Designer, I would
be  eternally  grateful!  It's  very  old,
released  about  1984,  and  as  far  as I
recall   was  released  by  a  very  small
software  house  and  was  written  by two
authors.  It  was  half MC and half BASIC,
had  a  bad  loading  screen  with lots of
flashing  red  and yellow squares, and you
had  to do LOAD "" CODE to load it. Please
can someone help to restore this icon from
my childhood....! ;-)

Enough   of  my  ramblings,  on  with  the
instructions!

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Rich Swann's Level Editor
-------------------------
These instructions are taken directly from
YS :

Now  this  is  class!  After four years of
constant  helping out in Dr Hugo's Clinic,
Dicky (or Rich, as I believe he prefers to
be called) of sunny Camberley, has decided
that  Pitstop  could also benefit from his
magic  touch.  And  this is what all Manic
Miner  fans  have  been  longing  for  for
years  -  it enables you to customise each
of  the  20  screens,  and  also  lets you
change the sprites, so that you can have a
completely  new set of baddies. The editor
is split into two distinct parts - this is
the  screen  editor, and the sprite editor
will   follow  next  month.  However,  the
clever   thing   is,   each   program   is
self-supporting, so you can run the screen
editor, and play your new screens, without
waiting until next month for the next bit!
I'm just so considerate.

HOW TO DO IT
Type  in  the  delicious BASIC listing and
save  it  to auto-run with SAVE "filename"
LINE  1.  When run, the editor asks you to
play  the Manic Miner tape. The actual bit
it's looking for is the main chunk of code
called  "MM2", which is the bit that comes
after  the  "title  screen"  loader.  Once
loaded,  you  will be asked which level to
edit, and then you'll see a representation
of  the  level,  and, hiding down there at
the bottom...

The Main Menu.1
This   option  enters  the  actual  editor
itself  -  study  the  symbols  closely (a
knowledge  of  the  actual level will help
here)  and  decide whether you want to add
floor, wall, poison pansy or whatever.

Press   O,   and   enter   the   character
corresponding  to the bit you want to add,
e.g.  $  for  a conveyor, or a blank space
for  nothing. You can then move the cursor
around  the  screen  using  5,6,7  and  8,
pressing  0 to insert your chosen feature,
be  it a poison pansy, a collapsing floor,
or   whatever.   There   are  three  other
features which make up the editor :

Pressing L lets you type in a new name for
the  level; however, be wary - as the name
is  poked into memory rather than assigned
to a string, you'll need to type in enough
characters  (and  spaces  if necessary) to
take  it  up to at least the length of the
original name.

Pressing K lets you change the position of
the  keys  (shown  as  red  stars  on  the
screen).   You're   asked   for   new  X,Y
co-ordinates, but be careful here, as when
I  gave a Y value of 8 the program stopped
with  an error message. If this happens to
you,  just type GOTO 15 to try again (what
do you want, perfection?).

Finally,   pressing   S  lets  you  change
Willy's  start position (shown by two cyan
arrows)  -  enter  new X,Y co-ordinates as
before.

When  you've finished editing, press SPACE
to get back to the main menu.

The Main Menu.2
This option lets you swap between levels -
note  that  you  don't have to save before
you swap.

The Main Menu.3
The  File-handling menu. From this you can
save  your  levels,  load  ones  you  made
earlier,  or  print the current level out.
There is also a Test Game option, but bear
in  mind  that  you  can't get back to the
editor  after selecting this, so save your
levels first, eh?

To  play  your levels simply start loading
Manic   Miner  as  normal,  and  when  the
horrible flashing loading screen comes up,
swap  the game tape for your saved levels,
and play that instead. One thing I noticed
when having a brief trial run, was that my
repositioned  key  in  Central  Cavern was
made  invisible. Is this a one-off or does
it  happen  all  the time? (I don't know).
And  if  it  is  a regular occurence, does
anyone  know  how  to  get  round  it? All
suggestions    gratefully   received.   Of
course,  some  people  might see invisible
keys  as  a  good  challenge;  other, more
cynical   people   might   call  it  dodgy
programming.  I, obviously, wouldn't dream
of such a thing.

Rich Swann's Sprite Editor
--------------------------
These instructions are taken directly from
YS :

Given  that  z=3+4i,  find the argument of
1/z,  giving your answer in degrees to one
decimal place... Oh, this one's easy - you
just  realise  the  denominator,  er, then
find  the  arctan... er, or something... I
know,  let's  have  a  look  at the second
instalment   of  the  Manic  Miner  editor
instead!  Infinitely  preferable, I think.
This  here  is  the  Sprite  Editor, which
follows  on  directly  from  last  month's
instalment, but runs independently, giving
you  a perfectly customised version of the
ancient  classic. As usual, type it in and
save  it  with SAVE "filename" LINE 1. Run
it,  and  you  can  either load in the new
levels  you created last month, or you can
start from scratch by loading the original
tape  in,  and  do  the  levels later. The
instructions,  I'm  sure you'll be pleased
to  know,  are  much less complicated than
last  month's,  so  here they are in their
entirety...

1/Z  :  Move  memory  pointer up/down by 8
bytes.  This  is  equivalent  to a "coarse
tuning"  control,  and  you  can use it to
scan   through   the  memory  looking  for
sprites.

Q/A : The "Fine Tune" control - this moves
the  memory pointer up or down by just one
byte, for if you come across an incomplete
sprite.

X  :  Switches  between viewing sprites as
8x8  or  16x16  types.  There  are some of
each,  and  generally  speaking,  the  8x8
sprites  tend  to  come  before  the 16x16
sprites every level.

E  :  Edit the sprite at current location.
Use  the  cursors (5,6,7,8) to move around
the grid, 0 to set a pixel, and 9 to reset
it. Space stops the editing and writes the
sprite   into  memory,  but  BE  WARNED  -
editing  data  that isn't an actual sprite
may  well  corrupt  the game, so make sure
you recognise the sprite first!

L/S  :  Load/Save your creations, the same
as last month's.

2 : Lets you select an address at which to
look for sprites.


And  it's as simple as that! Have fun, and
I'll  expect  to  see Manic Miner 2 in the
shops  before Christmas! (Somehow, I think
not. Ed)

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Blood's Notes
-------------
These instructions are taken directly from
Blood's Head :

The  editors  are  provided  as  two  .SNA
snapshots.  To  get  the  most  out of the
editor,   however,   your   emulator  must
support  .TAP files (or something similar)
to  allow you to save data from one of the
editors  and  load it into the other. It's
perfectly  possible  to  redesign  screens
only with a non-TAP editor, though.

I  have  loaded  the  standard Manic Miner
data  into  both  of the editors. When you
load  the  snap, the data is there already
and  you  can begin to edit straight away.
Should  you  wish  to  load your own data,
you'll  have to break into the program and
GOTO 1. This should allow you to load your
own .TAP file of the MM2 data.

Take  heed  of  the  warnings not to place
objects with a Y axis of 8! These generate
an out of range error, as they try to poke
a  memory  location  with  a value greater
than  255. The maths to work out the value
to  poke  is  pretty  darned complex, so I
haven't  attempted  to fix this. If anyone
does, please let me have an updated copy!

Funny things may happen if you put objects
or  ground  in  the  path  of  an oncoming
monster!  Generally,  it's  best  to avoid
doing  this.  It's also not a good idea to
block  off  the  light  beam  in the Solar
Power Generator...

You may have problems with special ground,
such   as  conveyor  belts  or  collapsing
floors   (i.e.   new  conveyor  belts  not
animating).  The  best  way to learn about
this is to experiment!

The  screen  names  are  not automatically
centred! You'll have to do it yourself!

DON'T  TEST  THE  SCREENS  WITHOUT  SAVING
FIRST!  You'll  end up kicking yourself, I
know you will.....

POKE 35136,0 should give you infy lives.

POKE  34795,195  :  POKE  34796,241 : POKE
34797,135:     POKE     36233,195:    POKE
36234,149  :  POKE 36235,141 will give you
infinite air.

Send  me  your creations! I'd love to play
any redesigned Manic Miners....!

Epilogue
--------
Errm....that's it really. Thanks to :

Henning - for finding the editor and
          sending me the photocopies.
Rich Swann - for writing the editor!
Matt Smith - for writing the game!
Craig Broadbent - for publishing the
                  editor in YS.
Your Sinclair - for being a top, top, top
                mag.
Richard Hallas - for continued support
                 and encouragment.

Any  questions, write to me at the address
below.  Now,  let's  all  see if we can do
better   than  the  AWFUL  Manic  Miner  2
hacked-up version which is currently doing
the rounds on the Internet!

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MANIC MINER 3
Tales From a Parallel Universe

Designed by the infamous BLOOD!
        (l.d.tonks@braO202.wins.icl.co.uk)
(c)1996 Cheese Freak Software

Manic Miner programmed by Matthew Smith
(c)1983 Bug Byte Software

Title  Screen  produced  by  BLOOD using a
cartoon  of  Matt  Smith  I  found on NVG,
PaintShop Pro for Windows, Melbourne Draw,
and  BMP2SPEC  (a cunning little utility I
wrote  to  port my Windows graphics to the
Speccy).

INSTRUCTIONS
It  is rumoured that there are an infinite
number  of  parallel universes where every
possibility is played out. Things in these
other  dimensions  may  be very similar to
our  own  reality,  but  subtly  different
because  of  certain  decisions which were
taken differently.

Miner  Willy is no exception to this rule.
Previously, thousands of Speccy owners had
thrilled  to  his adventures in his battle
to  escape  the Manic Mining machines, but
now  Cheese  Freak Software brings you the
escapades  of  ANOTHER  Miner Willy from a
parallel    universe!    Just   like   his
counterpart  in  this  reality,  Willy has
fallen into a mine packed with dangers and
must  escape  from  20  lethal  caverns in
order to locate the untold treasures of an
ancient  civilisation.  However,  in  this
universe  things  are  subtly different...
Can  Miner Willy emulate the antics of his
trans-dimensional  counterpart, or are the
Speccy owners of the other universe doomed
to a life with no Jet Set Willy?

GAME CONTROL
Three keys are used to control the game:
Q,E,T,U or O          - Move left
W,R,Y,I or P          - Move right
Shift to space        - Jump

Also :
A to G                - Pause
H to ENTER            - Music On/Off

FOR THE EASILY FOOLED
In  case  you  hadn't  noticed,  this is a
version of Manic Miner which I have edited
with  the  Manic Miner Editor to produce a
very  different  game! All 20 screens have
been  replaced  (and the scrolly message!)
and  should  prove  a new challenge for MM
addicts.  I  can't pretend that my screens
are as good as Matt Smith's originals, but
I  GUARANTEE that they're much better than
the  very  crap  'Manic  Miner 2' snapshot
which  has  been  doing  the rounds on the
Internet.

I  haven't  changed many graphics, for two
reasons :
1) The graphics were very good anyway
2) I'm crap at drawing
You  won't  recognise  any  of  the  rooms
anyway   -   it's   completely  different.
They're  not  all  rock hard either - some
are   easy   and   some   are   like   The
Warehouse.....Eeek!

I'm  not  asking  for  anything for this -
it's  free, just play it and enjoy it. And
when  you've  done, why not grab a copy of
the editor and have a go at redesigning it
yourself?  The editor's free too. I'm just
too  nice.  I'd  like  to  see any of your
creations..... Regards, Blood.

P.S.  The  screens  are as follows. If you
want  to take a peek at 'em, use the level
skip      cheat      or      watch     the
demonstration......

 1. Slightly to One Side Cavern
 2. Brass Penguins?
 3. Bernard Matthews' Personal Hell
 4. Sealed with a Glasgow Kiss
 5. Future Echoes
 6. Pac Up Your Troubles
 7. Altar of 7th Day Advent Hoppists
 8. Alan Sugar's Take-Over Bid
 9. Perils of a Bad-Hair Day
10. Dr. Jones WOOD Believe This!
11. Revenge of Brian's Phone Bill!
    (dedicated to Brian 'No Binaries!'
    Gaff)
12. Alan Sugar must DIE!
13. The 'Difficult to Edit' Cavern
14. Crashing More Often Than a ZX81!
15. Matthew Smith's Unpaid Royalties
16. Zucchini! Or Something.... (dedicated
    to the hard working YS team)
17. Farmer Barleymow's DDT Store
18. Eye o' Oktup (dedicated to 'dat ole
    looney...bwah!)
19. Warp Core Breach
20. Join the Jet Set (with apologies to
    Richard Hallas!)

==========================================
==========================================

TRAILBLAZER

Determination,  speed,  and  dexterity are
the   key   assets   needed   to  complete
TRAILBLAZER successfully.

Thundering  into  the unknown at breakneck
speed,  are  you agile enough to negotiate
the  perils?  Roll left and right to avoid
the  cracks but be careful not to fall off
the edge of the path as you go. Be sure to
identify  and avoid the squares which will
either  speed  you  up  or  make  you jump
automatically.  Keep  a careful eye on the
clock  as  the  more time you have left at
the end of each level, the more bonus time
you will be awarded.

The  aim  of the game is to guide the ball
down  each  of  14  courses  as quickly as
possible,  whilst  avoiding  the holes and
other  obstacles.  Each course has its own
time  limit.  Differently  shaded  squares
have different effects.

(Note:  there's  actually a diagram of the
different   types   of   square   in   the
instructions,  but it's a bit difficult to
draw  in  ASCII,  so I'll try and describe
the squares as best I can.)

Normal - light pattern
Reverse controls - darker shaded squares
                   in a chequered pattern
Increase speed - lines along the direction
                 of travel
Decrease speed - lines across the
                 direction of travel
Bounce - solid colour areas

There   are   two  options  which  can  be
selected - these are:

a)  PLAY  THE  ARCADE - You are limited to
four  jumps  per  course  and  have a time
limit  on  each  course.  Your  aim  is to
complete  as  many courses as possible and
to accumulate the highest score.

b) THREE COURSE TRIAL - (press 4 to select
this    option)   this   gives   you   the
opportunity  to practice any three courses
with a 99 second time limit on each one.

Scoring
Your  score  increases  depending  on  the
speed at which you are travelling.

==========================================
==========================================

EXOLON

This  is  the  first game in another small
series  which  will  be running throughout
the    next   few   issues   of   Emulate!
chronicling  the games of the infamous Raf
Cecco!

The  aim  of each level is to get from one
side  to  the other. There are 125 screens
in all, divided into 5 levels of 25.

You  can  move  your man (Vitorc) left and
right  using  the appropriate keys, and up
will  make  him  jump.  Pressing  the fire
button  down and then quickly releasing it
will  fire one shot of the laser. Pressing
and  holding  the  fire button will launch
one   of  your  rockets,  which  will  arc
through   the   sky   and  shoot  forward,
destroying any scenery in the way.

At  a  certain  point  through each of the
levels, there is placed a cubicle allowing
you  to select the exo-skeleton. This will
give  you  greater  protection, and double
your  rate  of fire, but it does mean that
you  will  not  get the score bonus at the
end.

There  are  also teleporters spread around
certain screens. Walking into one of these
and  presing down will teleport you to the
other teleporter located on the screen.

To replenish you rockets and laser, simply
walk  into the power packs that are spread
around the levels. Their colour determines
which item they will replenish.

When  you get to the end of a level, there
is  a  small  skill  test.  An  arrow will
quickly switch between several scores, and
you  must  press  the  fire  button at the
right time to select the highest.

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