JETPACK(1)

NAME
jetpack - Arcade action game for X Windows

SYNOPSIS
jetpack

DESCRIPTION

jetpack is an arcade action game. The user controls a player wearing a jetpack. The game takes place within a series of levels that each consist of a maze , fuel pods , a door , and a key . The player must travel through the maze to find the key and bring it back to the door to exit to the next level. There is a bonus for each level that is decremented as time goes on. It is awarded when the player sucessfully exits the level.

  Movement

The player can move left and right through space or walk along a horizontal maze wall. The player can also fire the jetpack, thrusting him upward. If the player is not standing on a wall and not firing the jetpack, he will accelerate downward. The player cannot be damaged by falling.

Firing the jetpack uses fuel. The player has a tank of fuel that can contain up to 1000 units of fuel. Picking up a fuel pod gives the player 100 units of fuel.

  Enemies

There are three kinds of enemies in jetpack: guards , fireballs , and wall sweepers . Touching any enemy is fatal, and enemies do not harm each other.

Guards patrol the maze. They fly in the middle of the corridors and follow random paths through the maze.

Fireballs fly through space and bounce off walls.

Wall Sweepers cling to walls and continuously move along the surface of the walls. They can hang on to any side, and when they reach the end of a wall, flip to hug the other side and continue in the opposite direction.

  Scoring

The bonus for each level is proportional to the size of the level, how dense the maze is, and how many enemies and fuel pods are in it. In addition to the bonus, picking up a fuel pod is worth 100 points, and picking up the key is worth 500 points.

  Commands
Q    :    Quit the current game.
K    :    Commit suicide. (player loses a life and returns to the door)
a, A, keypad 4
    :    Move left. Player will continue to move left until direction is
    changed.
d, D, keypad 6
    :    Move right. Player will continue to move right until direction is
    changed.
s, S, keypad 5
    :    Stop horizontal movement.
left mouse button
    :    Move left. Player will continue to move left until the button is
    released.
right mouse button
    :    Move right. Player will continue to move right until the button is
    released.
center mouse button
    :    Fire jetpack. Jetpack will continue to fire until the button is
    released.

  Miscellaneous

The player starts each level from the door. When the player is standing within the door, he cannot be killed. The door is grey when the player is in it, otherwise it is white. The player is returned to the door each time he dies.

If the player has the key when he dies, the key stays where the player was killed.

Extra players are awarded every 10000 points.

FILES
lib/jetpack.scores - jetpack high scores
lib/jetpack.lev000 - predefined demo level

DIAGNOSTICS

"Jetpack : Cannot connect to X Server <servername>"
Jetpack can't open the display you wanted. Check the environment variable DISPLAY and make sure the host is authorized.

"Jetpack : Couldn't load <fontname> font."
Jetpack was unable to load a needed font. Check to make sure your X server has the font loaded, or if necessary, recompile jetpack with a font that exists on your server.

"Jetpack : Couldn't open scorefile."
Jetpack couldn't open or create a high score file. Check to see if the jetpack lib directory is readable and writable, and if the score file already exists, that it is readable and writable.

BUGS

Jetpack does not use .Xauthority databases.

Jetpack does not have any command line options.

Jetpack has the ability to read in predefined levels, but only the demo level is provided.

AUTHOR

Copyright (c) 1992 Mark Bradley