     ______   ___    ___
    /\  _  \ /\_ \  /\_ \
    \ \ \L\ \\//\ \ \//\ \      __     __   _ __   ___ 
     \ \  __ \ \ \ \  \ \ \   /'__`\ /'_ `\/\`'__\/ __`\
      \ \ \/\ \ \_\ \_ \_\ \_/\  __//\ \L\ \ \ \//\ \L\ \
       \ \_\ \_\/\____\/\____\ \____\ \____ \ \_\\ \____/
        \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/\/____/\/___L\ \/_/ \/___/
                                       /\____/               
      Allegro Low-Level Game Routines  \_/__/   Version 4.2.0  

      Space Battle using Dev-C++ 4.9.9.2       (c) 2006 by Gia T. Nguyen     

***************************************************************************************************

 SPACE BATTLE - An Implementation of Battleship 

 This rudimentary 2-D game is based on the popular BattleShip board game 
 with an outer space theme.
 
           Carrier    - 5 hits to sink
           Battleship - 4 hits to sink
           Destroyer  - 3 hits to sink
           Corvette   - 2 hits to sink
           Gunboat    - 2 hits to sink

           Recon          - checks a sector (9 squares) for possible enemy ships
           Salvos         - 1 shot per surviving ship
           Advanced Salvo - custom salvo patterns per ship type

           5 Levels of Difficulty:

             1) Cadet      - Basic Battleship game, 1 shot per player
	                     (you hit the target once, you sink the entire ship)
             2) Ensign     - Like Cadet level, with Salvo, no Recon
             3) Lieutenant - Like Ensign level, has 9 Recon missions
             4) Commander  - Like Lieutenant level, has 6 Recon missions,
                             advanced Salvo
             5) Captain    - Like Commander level, has 3 Recon missions,
                             advanced Salvo

***************************************************************************************************

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

- This game has been tested on a Windows XP Pentium platform with 32-bit True Color and 1024x768 SVGA resolution.
- Unzip the executable file and copy the games files into a directory (name your folder SpaceBattle, for example).
- You will need the following files:
       spacebattle.exe, 
       alleg42.dll,
       spacebattle.dat,
       allegro.cfg,
       spacebattle.cfg,
       spacebattle2.cfg.
- Place all these files in the same folder (ex. c:\SpaceBattle).
- Run spacebattle.exe to start the game.
- You will need a mouse to play.

PLAYING INSTRUCTIONS:

#1 When the game starts, select Play Level.

#2 Game Layout

The Red grid is your Foe's game board, The Blue grid is yours.  Your opponent's ships remain hidden
until you make a hit or until the game has ended.  Locate enemy ships on the Red grid using your mouse.
Mark your own ship positions on the Blue grid using either the mouse or press <F1> (see below for more information).

#3 Marking Ship Positions Manually

You can place your ships on the Blue grid by clicking on the grid cell using your LEFT-MOUSE button.
Click the cells one by one, going from LEFT TO RIGHT or TOP TO BOTTOM.  If you need to try again, click any where on 
the grid using your RIGHT-MOUSE button to clear your current markings.

A Carrier takes up five positions, so you will need to click 5 cells in a row, 4 for a Battleship, 3 for a Destroyer,
and so on.  Ship positions cannot overlap each other.

Note that you can only place ONE ship at a time, starting with your Carrier down to your Gunboat. Once
you are done placing a ship, you cannot erase its position.  You will have to start over if you
want to change positions.

#4 Loading Ships From Formation Database

There are 480 pre-defined formations in the game database.  You can load one automatically by pressing
<F1> on your keyboard.  Formation selection is random, you cannot preview or change your formation
once the ships have been loaded.

#5 Basic Rules for Playing Game

Once all of your ships are in position, the game will start.  The Human Player always go first.

You can shoot by clicking in a cell on your Foe's gameboard (the Red grid) with your LEFT-MOUSE button.
Your Foe (the computer) will in turn make a shot.

Shots will be marked appropriately on the respective game board.  Missed shots are indicated by a small
target dot.  Hits are marked with an explosion.

Note:  in CADET level, IT ONLY TAKES ONE HIT TO SINK THE ENTIRE SHIP.

#5 Scoring

Whoever sinks all of the opponent's ships (there are five) wins!

ADVANCED GAME FEATURES:

#6 Basic Salvo Fire (available for Levels 2 and 3 only)

Each ship can participate in a salvo round.  So, if you have 5 ships, you can make 5 shots in one single salvo fire.
If you only have 4 ships, there will only be 4 shots, 3 ships 3 shots ... and so on.  Each shot will be random, you
cannot determine its coordinates.  To control shot directions, see Advanced Salvo Fire below.

You can make as many salvo shots as you wish, provided that you still have surviving ships to make them.

Note that if you make a salvo shot, your Foe will respond in kind with its own salvo.

To fire a salvo, press 'Z' on your keyboard.

#7 Recon (available for Levels 3, 4, and 5 only)

Recon (short for Reconnaissance) gives you the ability to search for enemy ship positions.  The recon area consists of
a square of 9 cells.  The center of the square is where you had clicked to mark the recon area.  If there are possible
enemy ships in the area, the square color will be GREEN.  If there are no enemy ship in that area, the square color
will be BLUE.

Note that there is no limitation on where you can recon.  You are only limited by the number of recon missions available.
You can click on any cell, even on ones with existing hits or missed shots.  You can also recon an area that has previously
been scouted and marked.  Each playing level has a different number of available missions however, so use your recons wisely.

To recon, select the center of the area of interest by clicking on that cell with your RIGHT-MOUSE button.

#8 Advanced Salvo Fire (available for Levels 4 and 5 only)

Advanced salvo fire allows you to control the firing patterns.  There are 6 patterns available for 3 types of ships:

Carrier - 2 patterns (X and Cross), 5 shots each
Battleship - 2 patterns (Diamond and Square), 4 shots each
Destroyer - 2 patterns (Horizontal and Vertical), 3 shots each

The shots are tightly grouped together to give you better placements.  You can make as many advanced salvo shots as
you wish, provided that you still have the types of ship that can make the shots.

Note that your Foe will respond in kind with its own salvos.  The number of shots it makes depend on its salvo setting.
It does not have advanced salvo features like you do, so the computer's shots will be random.

To take an advanced salvo shot, first select the Salvo Type:

Press <F5>  for Carrier Pattern 1
Press <F6>  for Carrier Pattern 2
Press <F7>  for Battleship Pattern 1
Press <F8>  for Battleship Pattern 2
Press <F9>  for Destroyer Pattern 1
Press <F10> for Destroyer Patter 2

After you have selected the firing pattern, click on the center of your firing "box" with your LEFT-MOUSE button (just like
you are making a regular, single shot).  Subsequent shots with the LEFT-MOUSE button will be in the selected pattern until
you change it.

To change the firing pattern, hit the function key of the new pattern.  If the pattern's ship has been sunk, you will not
be able to use it.

To return to single shots, hit <F4>.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

<F2>  Toggle sound on and off
<ESC> Quit the game and exit

E-mail me at gnguyen04@cox.net if you have questions or feedback.  I appreciate your response.

Gia T. Nguyen
02/19/2006
