                                Toyland
                              Readme File
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12-10-95
--------
Version 0.43
Tried to fix the reported bugs. See versions.txt for more information.
Files are the same as before (Toyland.zip = hicolor, Toyland-256.zip
= 256 colors, Sound.zip, Data.zip)

10-10-95
--------
Version 0.42
Just improved the 256 color version and added a rude speed control. This
will be improved AFTER the public demo release.

08-10-95
--------
The new version is 0.41. Some major features have been added. The game
now knows players and puppets to rescue. You have to login. Toyland will
keep track of the finished levels, your times / moves / restarts. When
you finish a level the first time these values are stored - when you
leave an unfinished level they will be stored as well. The level infor-
mation dialog now has the best time / best moves added. The options are
written to an ini file (a local ini file - Toyland won't change your
system files!)

You may no longer skip unfinished levels - I created a player - T(r)oy 
- who has rescued the first puppet (Sharee Ware) so you can select these
levels when using that player. I tried to create some fairly good high-
scores (i.e. not perfect but also not too lame) with T(r)oy.

Please test this version for the following features:
- Add players
- Player statistics
- Correct level assignment

Toyland seems to mix up puppet / level connections sometimes - please
watch it carefully - do things I never expected someone to do. Sometimes
my level was set to the one I left when leaving puppet Sharee Ware while
the puppet was set to Xan Beta. Please watch out for such problems!!!!

The *delete* button does not work yet in the login dialog - but
when you delete all player*.toy (including players.toy) ALL players
(including T(r)oy will be deleted. Make sure you don't delete the
state*toy files - or you won't be able to play any non self-made
level!

You need Toyland.zip and Data.zip - if you have a previous version
you don't need Sound.zip. I will upload a Toyland-256.zip (256 color
version) on Tuesday.

The two puppets are the well known levels in Sharee Ware (guess which
levels will be in the Shareware version ;-) and Xan Beta - the levels
by the beta testers - well the levels by Wim. Hope I will get more for
this puppet soon :-)

YES - I will use bitmaps instead of those ugly buttons to select the
puppet - but I need some testing input so I did it fast.

YES - There will be a finished state graphics - but (see above).

PLEASE test this version as hard as you can - I need as much input as
possible befor releasing the public demo!!!!

23-09-95
--------
The new version is 0.37. But there are still some known bugs - please
watch them carefully so you can tell me when they appear and when they
don't - this would help me solve the problems.

From now on the game will be split in two major files:
- toyland.zip has the executable
- sound.zip has the sounds
Since there is no change in the sound you don't have to download this
file. Simply copy all of the .wav to the dir of this release or copy this
release over the old one (although I don't think that is the best idea ;-)
you never know the *features* of a new version. 

The major new features are: 256 color should work now and some configuration.

The known bugs (which are in the game since 0.355) are:
- Undo in CHESS will not repaint the previously moved figure (although
  it will be updated - the graphics won't)
- Some figures in CHESS will not correctly be redrawn in some cases. 

One example: When moving a rook and then moving to the square it occupied
before the rook will not be redrawn after UNDO. I hope you can help me
find out when it happens and when not.

The options notebook only displays the first letter of the option (sound,
control) - if anybody knows what I need to do to get the whole title in
the tabs please tell me.

Please test:
- run the game in 256 colors - start other apps (I know some will reduce
  the colors in the game). Does it work for you - are there still some
  effects like the yellow / purple one in the previous version? What
  do you dislike about the new colors (of course they look poorer than
  the hicolor version).
- test the options. Try running the game when your sound device is blocked.
  This version is supposed to switch off the sound in that situation so it
  should no longer hang.
- stress test the program - one tester reported crashes after about 2 hours
  of game play - maybe you can keep the program in the background and play
  or edit once in a while - be careful with what you do: Since this is still
  a beta it might be no good idea to do critical / unsaved work while testing
  the game.

I hope the mailing list will soon be available so we can discuss some 
features for the demo release. A release with some more bug fixes /
enhancements will soon be released and will either be 0.38 or 0.37b.
That version will probably be in hicolor.


26-08-95
--------
The new version is called 0.355 which means it even has some known
bugs. 

Known bugs:
- graphic different when repainting <-> when moving
- Undo in CHESS will not repaint the previously moved figure (although
  it will be updated - the graphics won't)
- Some figures in CHESS will not correctly be redrawn in some cases. 
  If you find such cases please tell me what happened
- The rooks' movement is ugly somehow

Expected bugs:
- King movement: Please try to edit some levels in CHESS and put the king(s)
  in different positions. It is supposed to go the shortest way to the goal
  as long as that way is free or move to any free square if there is no
  way to the goal. Please test difficult situations - there may be more
  than one king so there are xxxxx different situations and that's one of
  the things the beta test is for ;-)


If you find more bugs, please report them - if you find out more about the
bugs listed above report as well.

Please remember that I will be in Sweden until Sept. 11th - you can mail
me any time you want (so you don't have to remember later on) and I will
take care of the reports when I'm back.

The updated html files from my site (text only) come with this version
again so look there for a short *manual*.

18-08-95
--------
I just added a few fixes. See versions.txt for details. The MMOS/2
problem is still not fixed see 15-08-95.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
15-08-95
--------
I sent you all information by mail - so I didn't make any changes here.
Just remember to make sure MMOS/2 is available...

I will keep the old readme if you want to chack anything again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

08-08-95

Warning: This release ONLY supports hi-color - the templates won't
work in 256 colors yet (at least on my machine) which leads to funny
effects. So switch to hicolor in your system settings!!! A 256 color
version will (probably) be available later!

Welcome to the pre-Beta stage of Toyland. I hope you will have fun
testing this game and be helpful for further development. Pre-Beta means
this game has only be tested on my own machine and I am doing a test witch
only few users to get more information on compability, playability and
collect ideas. It is most important that you DON'T SPREAD THIS RELEASE!!!
This is a closed test and I stay in mail contact with you. You can report
any error and problems to me so I will be able to find a solution. If
this release would become public most people would not recognize it to
be a pre-Beta and were no longer interested in the first official release.

Since I assume you want more OS/2 games (just as I do) please accept this
restriction. If you know anyone whom you think to be a suitable beta tester
you may give him / her my email address so he / she can contact me. Please
leave it to me to decide who may join the pre-team (I will most likely 
accept anohter tester but want to keep track of who is testing the game
so I can stay in contact with all testers).

Most information on the game can be found in the .html files in this release.
They can be found in the /html directory. Simply use WE's Load File on
Toyland.html. 
They are the same as my homepage at
	http://www.uni-koeln.de/~a0085/Toyland.html
Check this site for updated information. It will keep track of each
new version of the game. This page will be announced in comp.os.os2.games 
soon to see if people are interested in the game (and to do a little
advertising).

This beta currently features 1 state with 6 levels. The first one is
just an introduction to the items of the state. There are no obstacles
between you and the goal.  This level has the purpose to introduce the
objects of the world. Each state will have such a level. The next
pre-release will have more levels (so you'll have more to play).

What you need to do:
- Unzip Toyland.zip to any directory
- If you don't have a runtime or full version of the emx.dll get it from
  Hobbes or Leo and put it in any dir pointed to by your LIBPATH.
- Change to the Toyland directory and type Toyland... or
- Create a program object. WARNING: This game currently doesn't write its
  own ini information so it has to be started from its directory so be sure
  to set the Working Directory as Well as the Filename!


The current features include:
- Play Mode (normal mode) with toolbar. Just move the mouse over a button
  to see (in the statusbar) its function.
- Edit Mode with toolbar. Click on an item to make it active. Click right
  on the buttons with the red triangle to get more obstacles - warning:
  this won't press the button but only select the active element for that
  button. You can change the level as you like HOWEVER YOU CAN NOT SAVE IT.
  But if you leave edit mode, restart will restart your level (not the
  original) - so you can play around with it - and you will be able to export
  it. If you happen to create a level that is funny or challenging or simply
  good export it (file will be export.dat) and email it to me. I will
  write an import function for my version soon - so I can play some levels,
  too .-). Since any level keeps the author information, I will put the
  best levels in the release. So mail me your levels!
- Keyboard (cursor keys) and mouse control (see arrow for direction)
- Free choice of level with next / previous (this will be password dependent
  in the release version). So you can test any level.
- Undo last move (hope this one works... I just wrote it)

Features still to come:
- MMOS2
- Joystick
- DIVE ?????????
- 3D look
- Export function which puts your level in 7-bit plain ascii format which
  can be emailed (do so!!!). The final release version (the registered of
  course) will have the import function so users can email each other their
  private levels. This feature already worked - but failed after building
  this release... - this function will be included in the next version
  which will be released by the end of this week.
- more states (chess, circuits, maybe trains, ????). If you have any great
  ideas mail me.
- more graphics (the altar of lost souls etc.)
- MAYBE some videos (.avi, .mpeg or .fli)
- secret levels ???
- EMAIL ME and tell me what you'd like to see in this game.
- Bugfixes - a silly bug has made is way to this version. Some strings
  seam to overlap - producing the export error and sometimes defect
  dialog entries. If you are able to reproduce this error - or if the 
  program crashes on your machine - please tell me how and when!
So enjoy the game - and tell me what you think of it.

--------- Final Note:
Since I spent most of the time to get a more or less reliable version this
readme was done quick and dirty - so plEazE XcUse naY TYPoSS ;-) if you
have further question, mail me at
	menge@rrz.uni-koeln.de

Oh - and each level has a solution (I just tested them again). This is the
only thing I guarantee for ;-)

- Rainald Menge 
