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xblast(6x)							      xblast(6x)

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 follow-
     ing 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/ ).

EXTRA SYMBOLS
     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 ex-
     tras 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 spe-
	    cial 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 ex-
	    plosion, 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 pow-
	    ered 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 na-
	    palm bombs there is no way to stop the  firecracker  explosion,  al-
	    though 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 ran-
	    domly and cannot be controlled. Pyro bombs have the same range irre-
	    spective 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  cur-
	    rently  no	way to get rid of the junkie virus (but look for a reha-
	    bilitation 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 over-
	    take 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 un-
     der  the  terms of the GNU General Public Licences as published by the Free
     Software Foundation; either version 2; or (at your option) any  later  ver-
     sion

     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

		       Release 2.10.0 (Februar 27th 2005)	      xblast(6x)

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