Blob Wars : Episode I

License and Disclaimer

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.

Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid is distributed and licensed under the GNU General Public License. You can read the full license by clicking here.

This license agreement is shown the first time the game is played. IT MUST NOT BE REMOVED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS GAME IN ANY FORM WHERE THE USER DOES NOT SEE THE LICENSE.

This manual is based on the downloadable version of Metal Blob Solid as found on the Parallel Realities website. Be aware that depending on the version of the game you are playing this manual may be incomplete or incorrect in places.

Introduction

Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid is a platform game, not unlike those found on the Amiga and SNES. The object of the game is to take on the role of solider Blob, Bob, and play through the various levels and attempt to rescue as many MIA (Missing In Action) Blobs as possible. This is not quite as straight forward as it sounds, since the MIAs will often be not directly reachable and will require some extra thought. Bob also has to contend with environmental hazards, alien invaders and assimilated Blobs.

Requirements

Blob Wars requires the following,

• SDL
• SDL Image
• SDL Mixer
• SDL TTF
• Zlib

Screen Resolution : 640 x 480
Color Depth       : 16 bit or greater
Harddrive         : 38MBs
Controls          : Keyboard (or Joypad)

Most Linux users will find that the required SDL libraries came with their system and are probably already installed. If not, click the name of the library above to go to the relevant homepage.

Installation

Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid can be installed in two different ways. The first (and easiest) is by using a binary RPM package. The second involves building the game. It is recommended that you install via an RPM if you are able to. You will require the libraries listed in the Requirements section whichever method you choose. For installation from source you will also require the development packages for those libraries listed.

Installation from RPM Package

To install from RPM simply use your preferred method of installation (eg - via a GUI such as KPackage or via a terminal). If you wish to install via a terminal you can use the do so by typing the following (remember to change the filename to match the name of the package you are installing),

rpm -U blobwars-x.x-x.i586.rpm

Provided you have all the required libraries installed the game should install without problems.

Installation from source

If you choose this method you will need to build the game from source. This will require all the appropriate development libraries (see Requirements) and some knowledge of building an application using the source code. Open a terminal and use the following commands to extract, compile and install the game (again remember to change the filename to match the name of the download),

tar xzf blobwars-x.x-x.tar.gz
cd blobwars-x.x-x
make
make install*

* - You will have to be root in order to perform this step.

Notes

• Default installation target is /usr/games for the binary and usr/share/games for the data
• Music and Font data are extracted to /tmp and loaded from there. SDL currently does not support loading music directly from memory. Also segmentation faults occurred when loading fonts from memory. These are only minor issues and should not affect the game in any way.
• Menu items are added for Gnome and KDE desktops into Games and Games/Arcade respectively.

Running

Either type,

blobwars

in a terminal window, or you can use the menu links that have been added for Gnome and KDE desktops. These under located in Games and Games / Arcade respectively.

The Story

Bob is a solider in the Blob Army. Many years ago the Blobs' Homeworld was invaded by a race of symbiotic cybernetic organisms. Since then the Blobs have faced a lifetime of war. Recently the Blob Army has decided to fall back, regroup and change their offensive strategy. But some soliders did not regroup. They were marked as Missing In Action and left. However one solider was not happy with this arrangement.

Bob made it his mission to go out and "Bring Our Boys Home". There had been enough loss of life already and Bob wanted to bring back as many soliders as possible, even if he died trying.

But one thing puzzled him. The aliens could have wiped out their planet in just a matter of months. But they hadn't. The aliens could have taken all the resources they wanted and left. But they hadn't. What were they really after? And why?

Controls

Title / Options

Hub

In Game (whilst on the ground)

In Game (whilst swimming)

In Game (General)

Misc

Starting a New Game

From the Title screen select "Start New Game" then choose your difficulty level. Depending on the difficulty you choose the game will play in a different manner. Below is a table of how the difficulty level affects the game play,

Keyboard Configuration

To change the controls select Keyboard Configuration from the Options screen.

The currently configured button will be displayed to the right of the action. To configure an action highlight the action you wish to set (using the arrow keys on the keyboard) and then press Return. The current button configuration entry will disappear and allow you to press the new key you wish to use. After doing so the new button will then be displayed.

Repeat this process until you have configured all the keys you wish to. Key configuration is saved to a file called keyboard.conf in ~/.parallelrealities/blobwars/. Configuration is saved only once and not on a save game basis.

If you wish to test out your configuration and tweak the settings to your liking it is recommended that you start a game in Practice mode where you can easily tweak and buttons and test the output.

Joystick Configuration

Should you have a joystick / joypad connected then you will be able to configure the controls in this screen. The controls that can be configured map to the actions that can be performed in the game. eg - Up, Down, Left, Right, Fire, etc.

The currently configured button will be displayed to the right of the action. To configure a joypad action highlight the action you wish to set (using the arrow keys on the keyboard) and then press Return. The current button configuration entry will disappear and allow you to press the new button on your joystick. After doing so the new button will then be displayed.

Repeat this process until you have configured all the buttons you wish to. Joypad configuration is saved to a file called joystick.conf in ~/.parallelrealities/blobwars/. Configuration is saved only once and not on a save game basis.

If you wish to test out your configuration and tweak the settings to your liking it is recommended that you start a game in Practice mode where you can easily tweak and buttons and test the output.

Options

Various options are available to the player. These options can be set from the Title screen, the Hub or from In Game. Highlight an option by pressing the Up or Down arrow keys and then the Left or Right arrow keys in order to change the option's value.

How to Play

Playing Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid is very straight forward. If you have ever played games such as Super Mario Brothers then you will get the hang of the game very quickly. Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid has game play elements more closely related to The New Zealand Story though, since you have weapons with which to attack and can do other things such as swim.

You can move Bob around the game world by using the arrow keys (see Controls) and using left CTRL to fire your current weapon. Due to the nature of the game, there are no ammunition restrictions so you can use your current weapon as much as you want. Also note that it is not possible to manually change weapons. To change your weapon you must pick up a weapon icon.

Remember to keep an eye on your health (the red squares at the top of the screen). When you take damage you will lose a red square (or more depending on how you were damaged!). Bob is killed when all his health is depleted. At this point the game ends and you fail the mission. If you have reached a checkpoint before this time you will be given the option to continue (see Checkpoints). You get health back by picking up Cherries (a Blob's staple diet). One Cherry restores on unit of health so grab them whenever you see them.

When swimming you have a limited amount of oxygen. Your current oxygen is represented by a set of blue squares to the right of your health. When you are underwater these squares are slowly removed. Once they run out your health will quickly begin to deplete, so don't stay underwater too long! You get oxygen back when you are out of the water.

Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid is divded into various missions, each with their own objectives. Depending on the level of difficulty you play on the number of objectives will change. For all difficulty levels you will be required to rescue a certain amount of MIAs. Other difficulty levels will have other objectives that you will be required to complete. See "Completing Missions" for more information.

Rescuing MIAs

To rescue an MIA you simply walk into them. They will then be automatically teleported back home. This however is not always easy. Since you can only rescue an MIA by walking into them, you must first be able to do so. Some MIAs will be in high places, others behind doors. You may have to over come certain obstacles and other factors before you can rescue them.

Objectives

As well as rescuing MIAs, some missions have other objectives. These can vary from finding objects, to defeating a certain enemies or number of enemies. Before a mission can be cleared you must first complete all the required objectives. Special objectives, such as Exiting a Mission, can only be achieved once all the other required objectives are completed. If that sounds complicated, don't worry, you'll get the idea! See "Completing Missions" for more information.

You can see a list of objectives by pressing "P" to pause the game. This will also show each objective's completion status, including how much more is needed to be done.

Completing Missions

In order to complete a mission in Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid, you will need to complete all the required objectives. For most missions this will involve rescuing a certain number of MIAs. The required objectives change depending on which level of difficulty you are playing on.

The mission "Grasslands" requires you to rescue 5 MIAs. If you have set the difficulty to Normal or above then you will also be required to find a Transmitter.

During the course of the mission you will receive checkpoints. These checkpoints allow you continue if you are killed during the mission. See below for more information.

Checkpoints

Upon completing objectives you will be awared a checkpoint. A checkpoint allows you to restart the mission from a certain point if you are killed during play. When you are presented with the Game Over text, pressing space will bring up the continue options. You may either restart from the last checkpoint or return to the title screen. If you did not reach a checkpoint when you are killed you will simply be taken back to the title screen without prompting.

Checkpoints are also awarded for rescuing half the number of required MIAs, all the required MIAs and the total MIAs on a mission. So, if you are required to rescue 12 MIAs you will receive a checkpoint after rescuing 6 and another for rescuing all 12.

When restarting you will restart from the location you were at when the checkpoint was awarded (or the last place where you were on solid ground). You will restart with half your full health and everything you did before you were killed will be the way it was (so, if you saved an MIA after a checkpoint and were killed before receiving another you won't have to rescue the MIA again). Checkpoints can only be used a maximum of 3 times. Everytime you receive a checkpoint notice you will be allowed to continue a further 3 times. The number of continues remaining is noted in brackets next to the Continue option.

Note that due to the nature of the game it is not possible to continue on Boss missions.

Game Over

The game ends when Bob is killed during a mission (his health is reduced to 0). At this point you will be presented with a Game Over message. If you have managed to receive a check point (from completing objectives) you will be given the option to return to this check point or quit to the title screen. Otherwise you will be taken back to the title screen.

Hub

The Hub is the place you will spend time between missions. The Hub allows you to select which mission you will next undertake and also give you information relating to the missions you have just done, which MIAs you have currently rescued and some overall game statistics.

The hub can be effectively divided into three different areas - The Map, the Destination Bar and the Action Bar

The main screen of the Hub is the map. The map will show various locations that can be visited (represented by animated red shapes). Placing the mouse cursor over these locations will show their name just above the cursor. To select a destination left click on the location. The Destination Bar will change to reflect the name destination you have choosen. Right clicking on the location will display statistics about the location (more on that in a minute!).

The Action Bar has 6 options - Start, Info, MIAs, Stats, Options and Quit.

Clicking on Start will allow you play the mission you have currently selected (as Selected Destination).

Info will display information about the destination you have selected. You will be shown how many MIAs you have rescued in that area and which objectives you have currently completed. This will be useful to you later in the game when you wish to revisit missions in order to complete them fully. A briefing is available for missions that have yet to be cleared and an objective summary is available afterwards.

MIAs displays a list of all the MIAs that you have and haven't currently rescued. The list is updated once an area is cleared. The list shows the MIAs names, locations and their status (Found or Missing). Like the Info screen this is useful for discovering what levels need to still be rescued. Click in the Left and Right arrows to scroll through the various pages.

Stats gives you some information on how you are currently doing in the game. Most of the information here is just for fun. There are three pages, giving various bits of information. One thing to note - You may notice that the Percentage Complete statistic fluctuates a lot. This is because this is a percentage of what is currently known and not an overall percentage. So you may notice that at one stage it says 60% and then after finishing a stage it says 55%!

Enemies

The aliens are now littered around the Blobs' homeworld. Most of them have taken over the bodies of Blob soliders and are using them for their evil purposes. Some others travel around in their robot housing. Most of the enemies are easily dealt with - A single shot will take them down. But what they lack in defence they make up for in weaponry. Here are just a couple of the enemies you may encounter,

Pistol Blob		Once a cadet in the Blob army this Blob has been assimilated by the alien's nano technology. Weak and poor shots, these Blobs can still cause Bob problems in large numbers. Their green colouring is the result of alien's assimilation process.
Eye Droid		A floating alien sentry. Given the ability to fly by its Anti Gav unit, it will attack Bob on sight. Easily downed... but keep a safe distance, these suckers explode!

Other Blobs, ariel and swimming enemies exist. Keep your eyes peeled...

Bosses

During the course of them game (except Easy) you will encounter Bosses. These are often Blobs that the aliens have experimented on and transformed into hidious creatures. They are a lot stronger than normal enemies, attack differently and are all very dangerous. Bob will have to confront each other these bosses before he can move on. In some cases the boss's base area will also contain a item that essential to Bob's progress within the game.

Galdov

Galdov is the alien leader. He looks strangely like the Blobs, except for the fact that he is entirely robotic. He has been dubbed Metal Blob by the Blobs for his appearence seems to harbour a secret to the Blobs' past, the reason the aliens have attack their world and the myths and legends of "war".

A particular times in the game you will be required to battle Galdov. He is more powerful than regular enemies and has more weapons available at his disposal. Don't linger.

Weapons

There are five different weapons that Bob can get in Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid,

Pistol		This is your standard weapon and the weapon that Bob always begins a mission with. Compared to the other weapons it seems rather wimpy due to its slow during rate. However it is the only weapon that can be fired underwater!
Machine Gun		Somewhat the same as the pistol except for the high firing rate. This is a useful mission for clearing large numbers of enemies quickly.
Grenades		Grenades bounce around and explode on contact. The explosion is enough to take out a few enemies within a small radius. Although grenades cannot be thrown underwater, it is possible to jump out of the water and throw a grenade. Careful timing can help to tkae out enemies in the water. The explosion from your own grenades cannot harm you, so don't worry. Grenades also have other uses, since they can be thrown into places Bob may not be able to normally access...
Laser Cannon		Slow to fire but has the devestating effect of passing through the enemy it strikes. A single laser bolt can take out a great deal of enemies. It also bounces if it hits something solid, which means that it can strike enemies both in front and behind you!
Spread		A three way spread weapon. It is good for taking out enemies above and below. Has a decent firing rate too!

Items

Besides the weapon pick ups there are also a couple of others you should be aware of,

Cherry		A cherry will restore one unit of valuable health to you. Make sure you pick them up as soon as you see them. Cherries can also be found in pairs or in a large bunch, restoring 2 and 5 units of health respectively.
Keycards		Keycards and keys are used to access doors and other places in the game. Search the levels carefully to find them.
Points		These are points pods. They increase your score and come in various different flavours.

Aqua Lung and Jetpack

Two special unique items appear in the game - An Aqua Lung and a Jetpack. These two items are both essential for progressing further in missions and also for rescuing all the MIAs. Some missions will require you to have one of these two items so you can play them properly.

The Aqua Lung provides the player with an unlimited supply of oxygen, so you can stay underwater forever. You will then be able to reach MIAs and areas that you were previously unable to. There is no need to activate this item, it is used automatically when you enter water. You will also notice that there is no longer an oxygen meter at the top of the screen. Note that the Aqua Lung does not protect you from slime and lava.

The Jetpack allows the player to fly for a short time when it is activated. Press Space and then use the directional buttons to fly in the direction you desire. There are two things to note about the Jetpack - Unlike enemies, when flying Bob will suffer inertia... that is to say, if you are flying left and then push right you will have to slow down before you can begin flying right. You can however fly one way and shoot another using this technique. The second thing to note is that the Jetpack has an energy limit. Whilst it is activated it will lose power. The remaining power is shown at the top of the screen (in place of oxygen). When the power runs out, the Jetpack will automatically disengage. The Jetpack recharges whilst it is not in use. Note that the Jetpack cannot be reactivated if it has less than 3 units of power.

These items will become available as your progress through the game. They are unique so only need to be found once (so don't panic if you haven't found them, you can't miss them!).

Misc Gameplay Information

As you progress through the game you may notice that some levels have objectives marked as "???????????". These objectives (at the time) are optional but all will be revealed much later into the game's story.

There is no need to worry about completing these objectives until you are prompted to by the game.

About

Parallel Realities started off writing games on the Amiga using AMOS and then, later, Blitz Basic 2. Games written included the BOTSS Trilogy and most notably TANX Squadron. TANX Squadron was awarded Amiga Format's contributor prize of the month in the summer of 1999. Project: Starfighter was Parallel Realities' first contribution to the Linux gaming scene and was well recieved when it was released in 2003.

Blob Wars : Metal Blob Solid is our second contribution to Linux and we hope you enjoy it as much as Project: Starfighter. Like Starfighter the game went through several incarnation before the platform game was decided on. The original game involved a Capture the Flag type affair whilst the second was centered on a Blob agent called Solid Blob and his (rather dopey) companion, Bob.

The game direction changed when we wanted something a little faster paced and with more replay value. The game changed from its top down view point to a platform game and the Evil Blobs became assimilated Blobs. Bob later became the hero of the game now known as Metal Blob Solid.

www.parallelrealities.co.uk