                          GAME-MAKER

         INFORMATION AND SPECIFICATIONS,  Version 3.0



It's as  much  fun  to  create computer games as it is to play
them.  Game-Maker  lets  you  turn  your game ideas into great
games.

Previously you had to  be  a  programmer  to create almost any
type of game, and you had to be an expert software engineer to
make a top quality, fully animated,  full color computer game.
Game-Maker provides a set of easy to use computer aided design
tools  for  making games.  These tools totally  eliminate  all
software development and let you design games quickly.

Game-Maker GAMES
----------------

Game-Maker  games  have  full  screen, 256 color VGA graphics.
Game-Maker allows all scenes within games to be many times the
size  of  a  screen,  and  as  your character moves, the scene
scrolls rapidly and smoothly.  

Animated objects include 'stationary' parts of the background,
traveling objects called monsters, and  the main character.  A
game  can consist of just one  scene  or  many  scenes.    The
character,  monsters,  background,  music,  and sounds can  be
different in each scene.  

Every  drawing of every scene, monster, and character  can  be
your design, or you can use and/or modify those  provided with
Game-Maker.   For that matter, you can modify Game-Maker games
designed by  others, including adding completely new levels of
play.  Over 30 games are on the CD-ROM version of Game-Maker.

The characters that  you  design  have  up to twenty animation
sequences, can shoot or  not  shoot  (your  option),  and  can
travel at the speed you  set.   Characters can pick up and put
down objects, pop to new worlds,  die,  and  act in almost any
way  you  can  draw.   You can  control  characters  with  the
keyboard, joystick, or both.

Monsters are versatile animated objects that move according to
your directions.  They can be helpful or harmful.  They can be
birds and  butterflies,  alligators  and  trolls, missiles and
bullets, or just  about  anything.  Up to 60 different monster
types and up to 200 individual monsters are allowed per scene.
After creating a monster, you  can  assign it straight forward
or complex motion.

Game-Maker  games keep track of character  lives,  money,  hit
points, and over 15 other counters.   Characters  can  pick up
and  drop  objects.   A key stroke will  bring  up  additional
information  about  the  progress of the game and pictures  of
your character's inventory.

Multimedia
----------

You  can  create multimedia displays that present 'slide show'
style FLI  animations,  still  pictures,  text,  and text over
images.  These  multimedia  displays  can  be placed before or
after all game levels and at other key points, such as telling
the storyline upon game startup.    The  CD-ROM  version comes
with over 1000 GIF images, 200  sound  clips,  plus additional
FLI files and music.

Game-Maker TOOLS
----------------

Game-Maker  tools  have  menus and full color  graphical  edit
screens.  For ease of use, all tools are WYSIWYG (What You See
Is What You Get) graphics based.  A mouse  is  needed,  as  it
provides  easy  and  rapid  creation  of pictures, scenes, and
other gameware.  Menu selections can be made with the keyboard
or mouse.

Game-Maker includes an  extensive  set  of artwork that can be
used with the tools  described  below.    You  can  modify the
artwork  Game-Maker  provides  or you  can  design  completely
original drawings. 

Map Maker.  This tool allows  you  to create scenes by placing
picture  blocks  on a 'map'.  It  also  allows  you  to  place
monsters and objects in the scene.  You  can view the scene as
you build it, scroll around the scene, or zoom  out  and  work
with a global view.

Block  Designer.  Picture blocks are the basic components from
which computer  games  are made.  This tool allows you to draw
background, monster, and  character  blocks.  As you draw, you
can watch how your  new  drawing  fits into sections of scenes
and as well as see  the  drawing animate.  Drawing tools allow
you to quickly construct shapes, invert images, change colors,
and more.  You can copy blocks  from  other  games,  associate
attributes  and  powers  with  each block, and drag  and  drop
blocks to where ever needed.

Character Maker, Monster Maker. 
-------------------------------

These    two  tools  create  and  assign  powers  to  animated
characters  and  monsters.  As you design them, the characters
and monsters  cycle  through  their animation sequences (great
WYSISYG tools).  

Palette Designer.
-----------------  

If the palettes  (sets of 256 colors) provided with Game-Maker
aren't exactly what you need, create new palettes.  

Image Reader.
-------------

Import graphics into your  game  from industry standard format
GIF files.

Sound Editor.  
-------------
Graphically construct sounds for use  in  your  games,  or use
Sound Blaster compatible digitized sound clips  (.VOC  files).
Each    scene  can  have  its  own  set    of    30    sounds.
What-you-hear-is-what-you-get with this tool.

Integrator.   
-----------

Integrate scenes,  monsters, charac-ters, Multimedia displays,
Sound Blaster music  (.CMF  files),  and  sounds  into a game.
Optionally present Multimedia displays  between  game  levels,
upon  starting  or ending, and  for  instructions,  storyline,
epilogue, saving/restoring games, and more.

Utilities.  
----------

'Transfer'  utility  to  package  a  game   for  distribution.
Calibrate  and test joysticks.  Show FLI  animations  and  GIF
images.  Backup/restore. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware
--------
Standard VGA (256 color mode).
Two button Microsoft compatible mouse.
CPU - 286 or better, AT or PS compatible. 
Memory - 512K available
Hard Disk
Joy Stick (optional)
Sound Blaster compatible sound card (optional)

Maps (Scenes)
-------------  
Size: 100 by 100 blocks (2000 by 2000 pixels) 
  or optionally restrict the size of the scene
  (a standard VGA screen is 10 by 16 blocks).  
Scrolling:  Infinite in all directions (right side joins
  left, top joins bottom) or designer can control
  scrolling directions and area.  Scroll rate
  automatically matches character speed.
Colors:  255 colors plus 'clear'.
Character can pop through 'doors' to other scenes.

Picture Block Attributes
------------------------
Solid blocks (each side separately set) and
  traversible blocks.
Gravitational Field (any of eight directions).
Object blocks can be picked up, put down.
Character contact with  a block can play sounds and 
  change over twenty counters such as money, hit 
  points, lives, ammunition.  
Change a displayed block based on time.
Change a displayed block upon contact with the character.
Birth a monster periodically from a block.

Character Attributes
--------------------
Twenty distinct animation sequences per 
   character (10 frames per sequence).
One or two blocks in size.
Acquires inventory.
Possesses initial inventory.
One character visible at a time.
Each scene can have different characters.
An object or a counter can enable an animation sequence.
Counters:  Money, lives, hit points, score, five
  special designer defined counters, fifteen
  animation sequence counters.
Reacts with monsters.
Shoots designer drawn objects, auto-repeat or
  from one to ten shots per keystroke.
Dies if hit points reach zero.
Makes custom designed or digitized sounds.

Monster Attributes
------------------
Movement classes:
  - toward or away from the character
  - random
  - traverse a path, each path segment has its own speed
  - when in range, attack character along a path
Animation (20 frames per monster).
One block in size.  Can be grouped to form larger monsters.
Lives until killed / dies at end of path /
  dies after designated time / never dies.
Power level attribute.
Blocked or not blocked by solid background.
Monster solid or not with respect to character.
Automatically birth another monster upon death.
Upon contact, change score, hit points, etc.
Kill another monster upon contact.



A product of: 

     RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE DESIGNS   Box 1163, Amherst, NH  03031

Distribute your games freely  on  a  limited basis.  Royalties
apply  for  commercial  distribution.      Shareware   license
included,   royalties  due  only  upon  receiving    shareware
registration fees.

Distributed by: 
  Screen Entertainment, Ltd (England, Ireland, &Scottland).  
  Microforum Inc. (Worldwide)

Order from the above distributors or from any of the stores to
which they distribute Game-Maker.  Also:
 
    
ORDERS (1-800-533-6772) & INFORMATION (1-603-332-8164)  
  Weekdays, 8:30AM - 5PM EST
  KD SOFTWARE, Great Falls Avenue, Box 448, Rochester, NH 03867 

