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1 | Elite - The New Kind Release 1.0 |
2 | -------------------- ----------- |
3 | |
4 | Revision date: 22 July 2001 |
5 | |
6 | This is release 1.0 of Elite - The New Kind. |
7 | For changes since previous releases see below. |
8 | |
9 | newkindb.zip contains a compiled version of the code designed to run under MS Windows 95/98/NT using the Allegro graphics library and DirectX. |
10 | |
11 | newkind.zip contains source code for Elite - The New Kind. |
12 | If you want to recompile the game then please note the following... |
13 | a. The .wav and .dat files are not included in the source distribution to keep the size down, they can be found in newkindb.zip. |
14 | b. You need the WIP version of Allegro to compile the code. |
15 | |
16 | The latest versions of the source and executable can always be found on the New Kind website... |
17 | http://www.newkind.co.uk |
18 | |
19 | To run the supplied executable you will need DirectX installed. Windows 98/ME/2000 and NT 4 (with latest service pack) come with this. |
20 | If you are using Windows 95 and you haven't already installed DirectX you will need to do so. |
21 | The DirectX runtime can be downloaded from the Microsoft website. (www.microsoft.com/directx). |
22 | |
23 | Two pieces of music are included in Elite - The New Kind. The Elite Theme and The Blue Danube. |
24 | The Elite Theme was composed by Aidan Bell and the Blue Danube was composed by Strauss. |
25 | I spent a long time hunting for the best MIDI versions of these pieces I could find. |
26 | To appreciate them properly you will need a decent Soft Synth Midi driver installed and set as you prefered Midi and Sound device. |
27 | |
28 | Keys you can use... |
29 | Press Y or N on the intro screen. |
30 | Press Space on the ship parade screen. |
31 | |
32 | F1 - Launch when docked, Front View when in flight. |
33 | F2 - Rear View |
34 | F3 - Left View |
35 | F4 - Right View when in flight. |
36 | When docked, Buy Equipment for ship. |
37 | Use up and down arrow keys to select item, return/enter key to buy. |
38 | F5 - Display Galactic Chart. |
39 | F6 - Short Range Chart. |
40 | F7 - Show information on selected planet. |
41 | F8 - Buy and sell items on the stock market. |
42 | Use up and down arrow keys to select item, right arrow key to buy, left arrow key to sell. |
43 | F9 - Commander information. |
44 | F10 - Inventory. |
45 | F11 - Options screen (Save Game, Load Game, Game Settings, Quit). |
46 | Use up and down arrows keys to select option, return/enter to select. |
47 | |
48 | A - Fire. |
49 | S - Dive. |
50 | X - Climb. |
51 | < - Roll Left |
52 | > - Roll Right |
53 | / - Slow Down |
54 | Space - Speed up. |
55 | |
56 | C - Activate docking computer, if fitted. |
57 | D - De-activate docking computer if switched on. |
58 | E - Active ECM, if fitted. |
59 | H - Hyperspace. |
60 | J - Warp Jump. |
61 | M - Fire missile. |
62 | T - Target a missile. |
63 | U - Un-target missile. |
64 | TAB - Detonate energy bomb, if fitted. |
65 | CTRL+H - Galactic Hyperspace, if fitted. |
66 | ESC - Launch escape capsule, if fitted. |
67 | P - Pause game. |
68 | R - Resume game when paused. |
69 | |
70 | On The Chart Screens |
71 | -------------------- |
72 | D - Select a planet and show distance to it. |
73 | F - Find planet by name. |
74 | O - Return cursor to current planet. |
75 | Cursor Keys - Move cross hairs around. |
76 | |
77 | |
78 | On The Game Settings Screen |
79 | --------------------------- |
80 | From the Options Screen (F11) you can enter the Game Settings Screen. From here you can change |
81 | a number of settings that control how the game looks and plays. Use the cursor keys to select an option |
82 | and the Enter/Return key to change it. The options can be saved as default for future games by pressing Enter |
83 | while on the Save Settings option (NB this is not necessary if you want to change the settings just for |
84 | the current game). Game settings are held in the newkind.cfg file which should be in the same directory |
85 | as the newkind.exe file. |
86 | |
87 | |
88 | |
89 | Release 1.0 - Changes since Beta 3.0 |
90 | ==================================== |
91 | |
92 | - Rocks, alloys and boulders no longer stop you from engaging the jump drive. |
93 | |
94 | - Stopped tactics routine from being called while on the intro screens. |
95 | |
96 | - Ramming ships was causing little damage to player's ship. Now fixed. |
97 | |
98 | - Switching views while in space now switches stars around. |
99 | |
100 | - Moved all Allegro specific graphic functions into alg_gfx.c |
101 | |
102 | - Moved keyboard handling routines into keyboard.c |
103 | |
104 | - Moved file handling routines out of alg_main.c into file.c |
105 | |
106 | - Added screen to allow player to set the game options from within the game. |
107 | This means the player no longer has to hack newkind.cfg directly. |
108 | |
109 | - Tidied graphics routines and removed all references to HDC. |
110 | |
111 | - Fixed movement of crosshairs on chart screens so that they are clipped properly. |
112 | |
113 | - Added explosion, cargo cannisters and alloys to the game over screen. |
114 | |
115 | - Added escape capsule sequence. |
116 | |
117 | - Added option for instant dock vs. auto-pilot docking. |
118 | |
119 | - Fixed bug that allowed an enemy craft to launch multiple escape capsules. |
120 | |
121 | - Fixed asteroids so that they move slower and don't try to evade attack. |
122 | |
123 | - Added rock hermits. |
124 | |
125 | - Tweaked the tactics routine again. |
126 | |
127 | - Added limited joystick support (digital only at the moment). |
128 | |
129 | - Added beep sound when missile target is locked. |
130 | |
131 | - Added low pitch beep sound when missile is unarmed. |
132 | |
133 | - Added Energy Low message when enegry levels reach critical. |
134 | |
135 | |
136 | |
137 | Beta 3.0 - Changes since Beta 2.1 |
138 | ================================= |
139 | |
140 | - Fixed bug that allowed lasers to fire too rapidly. |
141 | |
142 | - The console was not being updated (i.e no of missiles) after a saved commander was loaded. Now fixed. |
143 | |
144 | - Added planet auto-select on chart screens ala NES. |
145 | |
146 | - Asteroid mining implemented. |
147 | |
148 | - Exploding ships now release alloys. |
149 | |
150 | - Fixed bug that caused enemy ships to only fire when at close range. |
151 | |
152 | - Thargoids can now appear. |
153 | |
154 | - Witchspace ambush added. |
155 | |
156 | - Anacondas now release worms and sidewinders when attacked. |
157 | |
158 | - Attacked ships can now release escape capsules. |
159 | |
160 | - Objects other than cargo cannisters can now be scooped. |
161 | |
162 | - Corrected condition indicator code. Was previously showing yellow even after danger had passed. |
163 | |
164 | - Added ability to pause game (P key pauses, R resumes). |
165 | |
166 | - The Cougar (a cloaked ship) can now appear. |
167 | |
168 | - The second mission is now playable. |
169 | |
170 | - Fixed bug that allowed enemy ships to fire from bizare angles. |
171 | |
172 | - Rewrote tactics routines. New code now based on NES Elite. |
173 | |
174 | - Docking computers now use full auto-pilot rather than just instant dock. |
175 | |
176 | - Space station now launches shuttles and transporters bound for the planet. |
177 | |
178 | |
179 | |
180 | Beta 2.1 - Changes since Beta 2.0 |
181 | ================================= |
182 | |
183 | - Added code to set legal status to clean and fuel to maximum after using an escape capsule. |
184 | |
185 | - Fixed enemy missile targeting so that other ships don't blow themselves up. |
186 | |
187 | - Fixed speed of enemy ships which were moving too slowly in previous versions. |
188 | |
189 | - Added game speed control option to newkind.cfg. |
190 | |
191 | |
192 | Beta 2.0 - Changes since Beta 1.1 |
193 | ================================= |
194 | |
195 | - Fixed bug in enemy tactics which caused ships to run away. |
196 | |
197 | - Set the max speed of player's ship to 0.30LM. |
198 | |
199 | - Added code to display version number on options screen. |
200 | |
201 | - Corrected spelling of "Feudal". |
202 | |
203 | - Enabled docking computers (instant dock for the moment). |
204 | |
205 | - Added hyperspace sound. |
206 | |
207 | - Changed code to display number of credits instead of bounty. |
208 | |
209 | - Set hyperspace count down to 15. |
210 | |
211 | - Added Suns, cabin temperature and fuel scooping. |
212 | |
213 | - Added left and right views when in flight. |
214 | |
215 | - Enabled use of Energy Bomb, activated with TAB key. |
216 | |
217 | - Changed scanner slightly, added code to display objects in different colours. |
218 | |
219 | - Fixed warping of stars in rear view. |
220 | |
221 | - Enabled Escape Capsule, use ESC key to abandon ship. |
222 | |
223 | - Enabled Galactic Hyperspace. |
224 | |
225 | - Added use of 'O' key on chart screens. |
226 | |
227 | - Added ability to find planets by name. |
228 | |
229 | - Added Windows icon created by Marcus Buchanan. |
230 | |
231 | - Added code by Thomas Harte to anti-alias lines and improve hidden surface removal. |
232 | |
233 | - Added option to newkind.cfg to enable anti-alias code. |
234 | |
235 | - Added the first secret mission, hunt the Constrictor! |
236 | |
237 | - Fixed equipment buying so that refund is given on existing lasers. |
238 | |
239 | - Changed colour of fuel limit circle from white to green. |
240 | |
241 | - Put some colour on the Local Chart screen. |
242 | |
243 | - Changed look of ship lollipops on the scanner to look more like the original. |
244 | |
245 | - Changed incoming laser sounds, one for hitting shields and one for hitting the hull. |
246 | |
247 | - Fixed asteroids so that they travel in straight lines. |
248 | |
249 | - Changed creation of ships so that the appear at more random locations. |
250 | |
251 | - Removed the Constrictor and the Cougar from the ship parade intro. |
252 | |
253 | |
254 | |
255 | Beta 1.1 - Changes since Beta 1.0 |
256 | ================================= |
257 | |
258 | - Fixed bug in load and save routine which caused the player to aways return to Lave. |
259 | |
260 | - Fixed bug in equipment buying screen. Buying military lasers for the side or rear view |
261 | would cause mining lasers to be fitted instead. |
262 | |
263 | - Renamed files to be all lowercase. This should ease ports to other OSes. |
264 | |
265 | - Removed #include of windows only allegro files from alg_main.c |
266 | |
267 | - Added #ifdef around use of GFX_DIRECTX in alg_main.c to allow compilation on non Windows OSes. |
268 | |
269 | |
270 | |
271 | Work in progress |
272 | ================ |
273 | |
274 | The following features have not yet been implemented but are being currently worked on. |
275 | |
276 | - C64 Elite style scoring. |
277 | |
278 | - Trumbles (from C64/NES Elite). |
279 | |
280 | - View of docking bay after docking. |
281 | |
282 | - Loading of different consoles not yet fully implemented. |
283 | |
284 | - Enhance joystick support, i.e. use of more buttons and analogue control. |
285 | |
286 | |
287 | Known Problems |
288 | ============== |
289 | |
290 | - Bits of hidden surfaces on ships sometimes show through. |
291 | |
292 | - Buying more than 255gs of Gold/Platinum doesn't work. |
293 | It didn't in the original Elite either. Broken as designed. |
294 | |
295 | |
296 | Have fun! |
297 | |
298 | Christian Pinder. |
299 | <christian@newkind.co.uk> |
300 | http://www.newkind.co.uk |