Troff
A retro action game. Do you remember Tron, Snake, and however all those games were called? This is a refreshing new variant.
How to start the program
- You need a Java Runtime Environment on your computer. The easiest way is to get it from www.java.com. There you can also check if you already have it installed.
- Download the program Troff.
- Start it by double-clicking the downloaded file.
A word to the programmers among you
If you want, you can download the source code.
Feel free to use the files in your own projects, as long as you name me and all other contributors to the files you took in use from me.
If you apply changes to my files, please inform me of the result, maybe there are more interested in your improvements.
And here's the manual:
Troff
A retro action game.
The Rules
Do you remember Tron, Snake, and however all those games were called? This is a refreshing new variant.
In an artificial world several pilots in their futuristic vehicles run against each other. Their vehicles leave deadly traces. The goal of the game is to be the last survivor.
Operation
Every pilot can move 90 degrees to the left or right.
Depending on the player modes, each player can lay a deadly trace and/or shoot in the direction he's heading.
In pilot views, each pilot sees the following information at the top of his display:
- name of pilot (so each player can find her/his window)
- loading bar for shoot (only loads for hunters; when load is complete, hunter can shoot)
- light as trace on/off indicator
- player mode
- keyboard keys for turn left, shoot/trace, turn right
During the game
You can use the following input methods (besides the menu options) during the game.
Keyboard Actions
| Player | Action | Key |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turn left | A |
| 1 | Turn right | S |
| 1 | Shoot or trace on/off | CAPS_LOCK |
| 2 | Turn left | LEFT |
| 2 | Turn right | RIGHT |
| 2 | Shoot or trace on/off | DOWN |
| 3 | Turn left | K |
| 3 | Turn right | L |
| 3 | Shoot or trace on/off | O |
| 4 | Turn left | NUMPAD4 |
| 4 | Turn right | NUMPAD6 |
| 4 | Shoot or trace on/off | NUMPAD5 |
The Menu
Game
Actions dealing with a whole file.
- Connect to server...
-
Connects to a game server for multi player games.
- Join group on server...
-
Join a group of players on server for multi player games.
- Message to group...
-
In a multi player game, sends a message to all players in the same group.
-
New...
-
Exits the current game and starts a new one.
-
Languages
-
Switches the language for the whole program.
-
Quit
-
Quits the program.
Deutsch (Deutschland)
English (United States)Run
-
Pause game
-
Pauses the current game.
-
Resume game
-
Resumes the current game.
-
Sound on/off
-
Turns sound effects on or off.
?
Some information about the program.
-
Help...
-
Displays some help about this program.
-
About Troff...
-
Displays information about this program.
Start a new game
When you start a new game, you have several options to adapt it to your needs.
- Arena
-
The arena where the race will take place.
- Perspective
-
Selects if to display a single absolute view from above oder each pilot's view.
- Speed
-
Selects the game speed.
- Number of pilots
-
Selects the number of players for the game.
With only 1 pilot, the game ends when that player runs into his own trace or an obstacle. With 2 or more pilots, the game ends when there is only one player left in the arena.
Only the first 4 pilots can be driven by humans; all other players are always controlled by the computer.
Pilot specific settings
The first four pilots can be played by humans. For those, several options exist.
- Type
-
Defines who controls the pilot.
- Human
-
A pilot directed via keyboard. Only selectable for the first 4 pilots.
- Computer random
-
A simple autopilot.
- Mode
-
Defines the role the pilot is playing on the field.
- Trace always (Tron)
-
The pilot always lays a trace. The action button has no meaning.
- Prey (optional trace)
-
Via action button the pilot can turn laying the trace on and off. A small light at the top of the pilot's view indicates if laying of the trace is turned on.
- Hunter (shoots)
-
Via action button the pilot can shoot, as soon as the loading bar (visible at the top of the pilot's view) is full. The shoot can remove a field of trace in front of him, but not an obstacle placed by the arena. If the shoot directly hits another pilot, the hit pilot immediatly leaves the arena. After each shot, the hunter needs 10 steps to reload.
This pilot lays no trace. - Hunter with trace
-
Like a hunter, this pilot can shoot via action button. Additionally, this pilot is always laying a trace.
- View
-
Defines the view the player has onto the field in pilot's perspective.
- 3D
-
A view from the cockpit of the pilot.
- Radar absolute (Up=North)
-
The surrounding of the pilot, seen from above.
- Radar relative
-
The surrounding in front of the pilot, seen from above.
- 3D + Radar absolute
-
View from the cockpit + surrounding embedded.
- 3D + Radar relative
-
View from the cockpit + surrounding in front embedded.
- Color
-
The color of this player. Must be unique between all players.
- Name
-
Defines the name of the pilot on the field.