FreeCraft (fka ALE Clone) Version 1.17


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			  T H E   W A R   B E G I N S
	   FreeCraft - A free fantasy real time strategy game engine

(C) Copyright 1998-2001 by The FreeCraft Project. Distributed under the "Artistic License"


Contents

Copyrights

Please refer to the LICENSE document provided with this distribution. To proceed beyond this point, is to agree with the license agreement.

The self extracting archive contains ZIP code, read the ZIP-LICENSE.

The binaries could contain SDL code, read the README-SDL.txt and the GNU LGPL license.

The source and binaries contains SIOD code, read siod.html for copyright and informations.

DISCLAIMER

This software is provided as-is. The author(s) can not be held liable for any damage that might arise from the use of this software.

Use it at your own risk.

Introduction

Read this for the introduction: readme.html

Install

Read this how to install FreeCraft: install.html

Upgrade

If you upgrade from an older beta version to a new one, please always run build.sh. Some graphics or formats may have been changed. Don't forget to backup your modified files.

Read this how to upgrade FreeCraft: install.html

Changes

Read this for the history of FreeCraft: ChangeLog.html

To-do and known bugs

This file contains the known bugs and what we plan in the future: todo.html

A more up to date list of known bugs are here: SourceForge: FreeCraft real-time strategy game engine - Tracker - Bugs

A more up to date list of planned tasks are here: SourceForge: FreeCraft real-time strategy game engine - Tasks

Problems

Read this, if you have problems compiling, installing or playing FreeCraft faq.html

Features

Open projects

Following projects are not assigned: (Please ask before start working) If you want to help, please join the FreeCraft mailing list and check if not already somebody is working on your project. Than tell what you want to make.

Documentation

Look into the original game documentation for playing instructions. Look into the sources for more informations.

Command line options

freecraft [OPTIONS] [map.pud|map.pud.gz]

Keyboard commands

Mouse commands

Clicking on minimap

Clicking on map

CCL: FreeCraft Configuration Language

The CCL is scheme. I use SIOD for this. (The most recent release is available from this web page) .

You can also enter CCL commands at the message prompt. Each line starting with "(" is taken as CCL command.

New documentation

Here I have started a new documentation.

Please help me writing it.

Files

Functions

Without any order:

Map CCL functions/variables

reveal-map
Reveal the complete map.
set-fog-of-war!
Enable or disable the fog of war.
fog-of-war
Enable the fog of war.
no-fog-of-war
Disable the fog of war.
minimap-terrain
Enable display of terrain in the minimap window.
no-minimap-terrain
Disable display of terrain in the minimap window.
original-fog-of-war
Enable original like fog of war style.
gray-fog-of-war
Enable gray fog of war style.
fog-of-war-contrast contrast
Set the gray style fog of war contrast. Contrast could be from 0 to OO. A contrast of 100 didn't change anything.
fog-of-war-brightness brightness
Set the gray style fog of war brightness. Brightness could be from -100 to 100. A brightness of 0 didn't change anything.
fog-of-war-saturation saturation
Set the gray style fog of war saturation. Saturation could be from -100 to 200. A saturation of 100 didn't change anything.

Unsorted CCL functions/variables

Internal Formats

Tileset

The tileset graphic is loaded from 'png'-files. Only files with 256 indexed colors are currently supported.

The format of the tileset graphic is:

32x32 pixels of a tile.

16 tiles are stored per row.

The pixels (7,6),(7,14),(7,22),(7,30), (15,6),(15,14),(15,22),(15,30), (23,6),(23,14),(23,22),(23,30) and (31,6),(31,14),(31,22),(31,30) are used for the minimap picture. For a 32x32 map all 16 Pixels are used. For a 128x128 map only the first one.

The colors of the palette reserved for the tileset:
HELPME: I don't know!

The conversion table from pud file to the internal format could be changed with ccl. More tileset informations

User Interface

More user interface informations

Sprites

The graphics are loaded from 'png'-files. Only files with 256 indexed colors are currently supported.

The format of an unit sprite is:

FIXME: more to come

Palette

Look into tileset documentation, what I have found.

Sounds

The sounds are loaded from 'wav'-files. Files with 8 or 16 bit, mono and 11025hz sample frequency are currently supported.

Utilities

extract

Extract a compressed entry out of the original game data file.

Read the knowledge bases which entry contains what.

Usage: extract data-file entry output

gfx2png

Convert compressed graphic (unit sprites) to png graphic file.
Usage: gfx2png palette file.gfx

gfu2png

FIXME: must write docu.

img2png

FIXME: must write docu.

cur2png

FIXME: must write docu.

fnt2png

FIXME: must write docu.

tile2png

FIXME: must write docu.

aledoc

FIXME: must write docu.

Arts

Following things are used from other peoples. If not other mentioned, protected by the following license "OpenContent License"
cross.png, health.png, mana.png.
(c) Copyright 1998-2001 by Johns.
food.png
Food resource icon (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
score.png
Score icon in resource (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
ore,stone,coal.png
Orc, Stone and coal icon in resource (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
freecraft.bmp, freecraft.ico
The FreeCraft icon (c) Copyright 2000 by Kyle.

Thanks

Thanks to following people for helping me develop FreeCraft:

And to all I have forgot to write up!
Please drop me an email, if I forgot you.

Contents


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The FreeCraft Project