 ------------------------ 
| Bomns for Linux README |
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Keith T. Fancher 
<discostoo at users.sourceforge.net>
http://greenridge.sourceforge.net



Intro/What the Hell is Bomns?
-----------------------------
Bomns (the bomb with an 'n') was originally a DOS game programmed by Charles
Lindsay in 1998, which immediately took the world by storm.  Its simplistic
deathmatch style gameplay achieved that oft-discussed but almost ne'er reached
level of video game perfection.  It was fun, it was addictive, and it was
freely available.  Of course even the greatest video game experiences can be
worn by the passage of time, and Bomns was no exception.  After a couple of
years people stopped talking about it, new games came out, and Charles wasn't
the celebrity he once was.  He turned to alcohol and drugs to soothe his pain,
and before long became a shiftless addict, slumming through life an injection
at a time.  It was around this time he met me (Keith Fancher), and we began to
develop a friendship.  We spent our nights drinking, snorting coke, dropping
cinderblocks on cars from overpasses, engaging in acts of listless sodomy, and
talking about the glory days.  In was during one of these crazy nights we got
an incredible idea: to collaborate on a sequel to Bomns.  Bomns^2 (that's
Bomns Squared), as it would come to be called, would be even more
revolutionary than the original.  We toyed with different game concepts, and
out of our brainstorming sessions Bomns gameplay staples like warps, health,
and punching the other player were born.  In perhaps a week of furious
programming we had realized our vision: the ultimate Bomns experience.
Charles was back from the gutter, and he brought me with him.  We rode this
wave of success for a while, but the next incarnation of Bomns was never far
from either of our minds.  We experimented with different platforms and
gameplay ideas, but for a while nothing of interest happened in the Bomns
world.  Then suddenly, in 2002, out of NOWHERE, it came: DXBomns.  This was
Charles' solo project, programming a version of Bomns using DirectX.  It was,
to quote Charles himself, "awesome in just about every respect."
Revolutionary gameplay aspects like breakable walls and up to 4 player support
made this one an instant classic.  For a few months prior to this monumental
event in gaming history, I had been expermimenting with the Linux operating
system, and I decided that the Linux users of the world had a right--no, a
need--to play Bomns, and experience the joy.  I then began to work on what you
are about to play: Bomns for Linux.  It brings the spirit of Bomns^2 to the
Linux world, with a few modern conveniences thrown in to boot.  Prepare
yourself.



System Requirements
-------------------
- SDL - get the latest version at www.libsdl.org
- SDL_mixer - get the latest version at www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/
- GTK - you'll need GTK2 for the newest launcher, although there is a GTK
  1.2.x version of the launcher you can use
- The header files for those libraries



Installation
------------
Bomns for Linux has a regular GNU installation.  Read the file "INSTALL" for
the full details, but basically it boils down to:

  ./configure
  make
  make install

This, by default, will build and install "bomns" (the main game), "bomnsedit"
(the level editor), and "bomnslauncher2" (the GTK2 game launcher).  You can
change what's built by passing some of the following arguments to the
configure script:

  --enable-launcher1   (build the GTK 1.2 launcher, which sucks)
  --disable-launcher2  (don't build the GTK2 launcher)
  --disable-editor     (don't build the level editor)

The default installation should be fine for most people.



Playing Bomns for Linux
-----------------------
The gameplay of Bomns for Linux is quite simple: just move around the level,
picking up powerups and avoiding powerdowns, all the while laying bomns and
plotting your opponent's desctruction.  A bomn will do 5 damage to the other
player player, and running into them will do 1 damage.  The first to kill
their opponent before the time runs out is declared the winner.

Player one controls:
  Move      : arrow keys
  Drop Bomn : enter

Player two controls:
  Move      : w,a,s,d
  Drop Bomn : spacebar

Other controls:
  Enter/exit fullscreen mode: f
  Quit current game         : escape



Configuring Bomns for Linux
---------------------------
Bomns reads its configuration from a file called "~/.bomnsrc", which will be
created the first time you run the game.  This is a simple text file, fairly
well-commented, and it can be easily edited.  Of course this should never be
necessary, because you can just use the launcher, as described below.



Using the Bomns for Linux Launcher
----------------------------------
The launcher is what you can use to customize your Bomns playing experience.
There are several values you can change, and most of them are self-explanatory
(and tooltipped, at that).  Some things to note: in the "Game Settings"
section there is a text entry box where you can either type in a level file
to play, or open a file selection dialog to choose the level to load.  This
will only have an effect if you choose to "Load Level From File", as opposed
to "Generate Random Level".  Also: if you choose to "Load Level From File", but
fail to choose a level file to load, Bomns will just generate a random level.
Clicking on the "Editor" button will launch the level editor, using the level
file name specified in the text box, or if that is empty, "default.lvl" in the
current directory.



Using the Level Editor
----------------------
The Bomns for Linux level editor is a fairly simple tool you can use to create
your own custom levels in which to play.  Use the keyboard or mouse to create
a level, then press F2 to save it to the filename specified either on the
command line, or with the launcher.  The most crucial keyboard commands are
layed out on the bottom of the editor screen, but here are the full controls:

Keyboard Controls:
  Move cursor         : arrow keys
  Stamp tile          : s, spacebar, enter
  Delete tile         : d, delete
  Next tile           : page up
  Previous tile       : page down
  Select tile         : 1-9
  Test level in Bomns : l
  Fullscreen mode     : f
  Save level          : F2
  Clear level         : F12
  Exit editor         : escape

Mouse Controls:
  Move cursor   : mouse
  Stamp tile    : left click
  Delete tile   : right click
  Next tile     : mouse wheel up
  Previous tile : mouse wheel down

Enjoy!
