08/27/2013 : Freeware version (recompiled from my old Falcon)

Whats news in the version 1.5 ?

THE GAME
The most important new of this version come from the add of samples but it is not the 
only news.
Now during the game you have sound effects. These sound effects can be choosen or 
removed as you want. The file "LISTESPL.DAT" contain the list of the samples use during 
the game. Each number correspond with a sample play for an evenement during the 
game :
Nø	PURPOSE:
0-	Sound when the teeth become closed
1-	Sound when a tank is teleported
2-	Sound when a little wall is destructed
3-	Sound when a shoot touch a invisible wall
4-	Sound when a shoot break a bridge
5-	Sound when a tank walk on a mine
6-	Sound when a shoot is stopped by a field force
7-	Sound when a shoot enable an invisible paving stone
8-	Sound when a unstable paving stone begin to break
9-	Sound when a unstable paving stone end to break
10-	Sound when a tank become glued on the glue
11- 	Sound when the shoot touch a wall
	
12-	Sound when the player 1 win the level
13-	Sound when the player 2 win the level
14-	Sound when the player 3 win the level
15-	Sound when the player 4 win the level
16-	Sound when the player 5 win the level
17-	Sound when the player 6 win the level
	
18-	Sound 1 the a tank fall on a hole
19-	Sound 2 the a tank fall on a hole (choose at random)
	
20-	Sound 1 at the begin of one level
21-	Sound 2 at the begin of one level
22-	Sound 3 at the begin of one level
23-	Sound 4 at the begin of one level (choose at random)
	
24-	Sound 1 when a tank explode
25-	Sound 2 when a tank explode
26-	Sound 3 when a tank explode  (choose at random)
	
27-	Sound when a shoot touch a tank
	
28-	Sound when a tank shoot
29-	Sound for the pause
30	Sound when it stay 10 secondes for time

The file correspondance of sample "listespl.dat" by default:
0
\DAT\SAMPLES\CLOSDRWR.AVR
1
\DAT\SAMPLES\EASTERN.AVR
2
\DAT\SAMPLES\SHOOT.AVR
3
\DAT\SAMPLES\BOING.AVR
4
\DAT\SAMPLES\STRTURN.AVR
5
\DAT\SAMPLES\EXPLOS_3.AVR
6
\DAT\SAMPLES\SONIC.AVR
7
\DAT\SAMPLES\CLACK.AVR
8
\DAT\SAMPLES\GLASBK.AVR
9
\DAT\SAMPLES\GLASBK.AVR
10
\DAT\SAMPLES\SPLAT.AVR
11
\DAT\SAMPLES\PON.AVR
12
\DAT\SAMPLES\BONUSSHO.AVR
13
\DAT\SAMPLES\CATCALL.AVR
14
\DAT\SAMPLES\CLAP.AVR
15
\DAT\SAMPLES\CLAPPING.AVR
16
\DAT\SAMPLES\FANFARE.AVR
17
\DAT\SAMPLES\OHJOY.AVR
18
\DAT\SAMPLES\AHOO.AVR
19
\DAT\SAMPLES\MANOVER.AVR
20
\DAT\SAMPLES\ARABIAN.AVR
21
\DAT\SAMPLES\BONSAI.AVR
22
\DAT\SAMPLES\BUGLE.AVR
23
\DAT\SAMPLES\DESTROY.AVR
24
\DAT\SAMPLES\CRASH.AVR
25
\DAT\SAMPLES\BOOMOOOH.AVR
26
\DAT\SAMPLES\NOVABOOM.AVR
27
\DAT\SAMPLES\TICK.AVR
28
\DAT\SAMPLES\PHASER2.AVR
29
\DAT\SAMPLES\R2BEEP.AVR
30
\DAT\SAMPLES\TIMES_UP.AVR

Thats means the sound effect for the teeth (nø0) is the sample "DAT\SAMPLES\CLOSDRWR.AVR" 
(with the path where the game is launched) which will be played during the game... A 
complete path can be put too example f:\samples\voices\haaaa.avr. If you don't want a 
sample for an evenement you can put a sample name which doesn't exist for example f: \ 
or you can too don't enter the number + AVR file name you don't want (for example if you 
don't want a sample for the pause you delete the line where is 29 + \DAT\SAMPLES\R2BEEP.AVR) 
. Attention each line of the file must separed by a carriage return (return under a texte 
editor). The use of one number for each sample allows you to put the sample list in the 
order you want (or not to put it), but you always have a number <carriage return:CR> a 
name of sample file  which correspond to this number of evenement <carriage 
return:CR>.
The file can be edited with a text editor but soon a program to play an associat sample file 
will be made (using a gem interface and enhanced GEM library if I can use it but I does'nt 
know any word of german!!!).
The format of the sample must be AVR which is the format the most used on atari 
computers. The samples can be 8-16 bits, signed / unsigned, stereo/mono. But they are 
replayed in 8 bits signed mono that means a calculation (which take time) is done to past 
sample:
	- from 16 to 8 bits (quality lost)
	- unsigned to signed
	- no problem for stereo sample, there are just replay at a frequency *2. But their 
frequency mustn't be greater than 25 Khz.
I recommend you the program 525.PRG which transform sample and can convert them in 
different sample formats (AVR,VAW,AIFF,HSN....).
The samples size if limited at 100 KB but if you want more because you have 14 MB of 
memory don't hesitate to ask it to me !! The samples are loaded in memory only if there is 
enough space and if their formats (AVR) are good.
To know why some sample havn't be loaded during the game a file called "splerror.txt" is 
created each time you select PLAY in the game. In this file the reasons of non loaded 
samples are writen, for example: not enough memory, bad file type...

There is 12 voices : 4 for the music (soundtrack) and 8 for the sound effects (1 for each 
player and 2 for the background). This routine was coded in ASM 68030 & 56000 by 
Stephane Lesage (Simplet). And I have modified it to be more stable, with more 
parameters, to work with AVR samples, usable with C...
 

OTHERS NEWS IN THE VERSION 1.5:
A lot of things in the menu OPTION (in 2 pages) are new:
- The time can be disable when it take the value 0
- The tank energie can be egal to 1 (one shoot and you die !!) 
- The option canon fixed allow a more easy manipulation of the tanks (suggestion by 
Achim Settelmeier (SCY/TSCC)) . In this mode the direction of the canon take the 
direction of the tank. 
- The protection option (not usable with the previous option) allow, when it is enable, to 
the tank to be not destructable ( a sort of ball appears on the tank) when you press FIRE 
and the put joystick on position down.
- Option speaker on/off
- Option to chose of the samples volume
- Option to put samples on/off
- Option to chose the soundtrack volume (when you decrese it, the volume of samples is 
decreased too: it is a general volume)
- Option of the soundtrack on/off
=>All the options are saved in the config file "tblaster.cfg".
If you edit this file you will get something like:
3
30
50
1
1
120
1
dat\LEVEL.DAT
listespl.dat
1
0
1
16
1
9
0
The ligne 8 and 9 can be modified they correspond respectively of the name of level file to 
load during the game ("dat\level.dat" by defaut) , and the name of the file of samples 
correspondance ("listespl.dat" by default). If the config file doesn't exist default values are 
used. If the file "dat\level.dat" doesn't exist the game can't run when you select PLAY. If 
the file of sample correspondance is not found no sample is played.

Some other update has been done since the first versions, so you will discover them 
during the game.


THE LEVEL EDITOR
In the level editor a option Copy/Paste as been added to copy an level to another. To use 
it press the key (C)opy (V)Paste .




TO FINISH:
In these new versions (editor and game) the resolution change have been improved to be 
more compatible with screen cards like screen-blaster for example. A lot of bugs have 
been killed but some new has appeared so hope for your collaboration to kill them (I can't 
bear bug !!!!). The game has been tested on Falcon with 4 Mb of memory, NVDI, 
SCREEN-BLASTER III, TOS 4.01 4.02 4.04.

THE FINISH OF THE END !!!
Thank you for your trust when you have registred to my little game.
I wait your critics, suggestion, remarks.
Have fun with tank blaster !!

	See you,
	FABRICE VENDE





(Document made with the very good Papyrus (v3.62, the version 4.0 and more havn't be 
translate in french again), original version of course for a software of this quality !!!)