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    A VIRTUAL REALITY ARCADE EXPERIENCE                                  
 ͼ
                                                           design+code+art:
  [ official site: porta2note.itch.io/gridfighter-3d ]        jay hammer
                                                         
  [ RELEASE NOTES ]       [ version 1.3 / 28.12.2018 ]      additional code:
                                                               hellmood
   Thanks for trying Gridfighter 3D! At the moment,      
   this can be considered a tech demo or proof of           for OrcaJam 2017
   concept. A full game based on this is coming soon.       Victoria, PNW
                                                         
   FILES IN THE ARCHIVE                                    DSR:P2N::2017/18
   --------------------                                     

   GRID3D.EXE   - the game itself                              (60 515 bytes)
   SETMODE.COM  - utility to initialize the Forte VFX1 3D mode     (13 bytes)
   GRID3D.TXT   - you're looking at it
   GRID3D.PNG   - program icon (256x256) for launchers, etc.
   FILE_ID.DIZ  - file descriptor for BBSes since it's clearly still 1992
   GRID3D.HI    - high score record; this will be automatically generated
                  after the first time the game is run.

   GRID3D_X.7Z  - Native ports for Linux & Mac OS/X. These are statically
                  linked and should run on most recent distros. By default
                  they start in a rather small window, ALT+ENTER will cycle
                  through full-screen modes. Note that this archive is not
                  included in the DOS download package on the itch.io site;
                  the Linux/OS/X bundle is a separate download. The floppy
                  disk release contains all versions.

   LINUXOSX.TXT - Instructions & supplimentary information related to the
                  Linux & OS/X release. Be sure to read this before playing.


   REVISION HISTORY
   ----------------

   ver. 0.F - initial OrcaJam public demo                       [ 15.10.2017 ]
   ver. 1.0 - first release. Slightly rushed.                   [ 17.10.2017 ]
   ver. 1.1 - fixed major rendering bug resulting in ~20-100%   [ 18.10.2017 ]
              speedup on most platforms
            - tweaked game balance & difficulty curves to cope with higher
              framerates
            - added 7/8/9/0 keys to adjust playfield X/Y position
            - fixed playfield position not being reset on player spawn
            - added native OS/X & Linux ports
   ver. 1.2 - MAJOR restructuring update to decouple player     [ 28.10.2017 ]
              and enemy movement from screen updates. Player,
              enemies & laser fire now operate on independent timers.
            - thanks to the above, speed cap removed on DOS & set to 60 FPS
              on Linux & OS/X. There should be NO more framerate dependencies
              in-game.
            - many minor code improvements for snappier feel & better control
              response
            - many small rendering bugs & anomalies fixed. Player & enemies
              no longer "disappear" until moved in certain cases.
            - OS/X & Linux ports should NEVER, EVER peg the CPU at 100% on
              modern systems anymore (oops!)
            - changed reticle to a crosshair & shadows back to red
            - improved balance & difficulty curve (again!) to work with new
              timing
   v. 1.2F  - MASSIVE OPTIMIZATION UPDATE.                       [ 3.02.2018 ]
              Improved game speed (framerate) by up to 300% or
              more, especially on low-end systems. Yes, it really is that
              much faster. Minimum system requirement is now a decent 386
              with 387 co-processor, 486DX recommended for optimal gameplay.
            - changed reticle again, because triangle.
            - added wait-for-vsync (DOS version) because it is now relevant
              to do so.
            - added command-line parameters: LOWRES and NOVSYNC
            - now supports 128kB EGA cards using LOWRES mode
   ver. 1.3 - udpated Linux & OS/X builds to match the DOS       [ late 2018 ]
              version
            - added Linux support for 32-bit CPUs (separate executable)
            - OS/X port now distributed in standard .app bundle, with icon
            - OS/X port now supports Snow Leopard
            - VR64 headset support added. Note that this profile was developed
              on a home-built clone of the original VR64. As the VR64 is not
              a commercial device you can go out & buy in a shop, I suspect
              most of them out there are similarly made. You may need to
              adjust the geometry in-game to suit your version of this head-
              set.

   NOTE: As of version 1.2 I am unlikely to make significant changes to the
   gameplay or mechanics. I consider "Version 1" of this game complete. :)
   That said, bugs will still be fixed & support for more headsets will
   GLADLY be added as I get my hands on them.

   Please report any bugs you encounter on itch.io, Facebook, Pouet, etc.
   Web addresses are at the top & bottom of this readme.

   RUNNING THE GAME
   ----------------

   Run GRID3D.EXE from the command line.

   For Forte VFX1 support, run SETMODE.COM before GRID3D.EXE. See below for
   details.

   COMMAND LINE OPTIONS (case-insensitive)

      lowres -  uses 640x200 mode instead of 640x350. This will be faster on
                slow systems (386) and will also work on EGA cards that only
                have 128kB of video memory.

      novsync - disables wait for vertical retrace (DOS only.) Using this
                option will make the game into a flickery mess on fast
                machines, but may be useful on 386 or similar.

   Gridfighter 3D supports a wide variety of Virtual Reality headsets
   including the Forte VFX1, Oculus Rift DK1 or compatibles, Android-based
   devices and OSVR HMDs. It runs in a DOS environment (FreeDOS, DOSBox,
   MS-DOS, PC-DOS, etc.)

   If you are using a Forte VFX1 on a real DOS machine, the VIP card MUST be
   installed and the headset connected that way. Run SETMODE.COM before start-
   ing Gridfighter 3D in order to activate side-by-side stereo mode.

   IMPORTANT: DO NOT run SETMODE.COM if you don't have a VFX1!

   To use an Oculus DK1 on a DOS machine, you must have a video card that
   supports DVI under DOS. Connect the DK1 video box to your machine's DVI
   port and select DK1 when starting the game. Do not connect any other
   VGA or DVI monitor to the machine! This has been tested and found to work
   with Nvidia Quadro2 and FX1000 cards but theoretically it should work with
   many others.

   If using DOSBox under Linux, Mac OS/X, or Windows, any headset that
   operates in extended desktop mode should be compatible. Make sure full-
   screen scaling is enabled and aspect ratio correction DISabled in
   dosbox.conf, and set the fullscreen resolution to your HMD's native
   resolution. It is generally convenient to have the headset mirror the main
   display.

   On Android-based devices any port of DOSBox should run Gridfighter 3D. It
   was tested with DOSBox Turbo on a Galaxy SII which works reasonably well.
   You will need a bluetooth or USB keyboard to control the game as it only
   accepts keyboard inputs.

   Theoretically a 286 with 640kB main memory & a 128kB EGA card can run the
   game, but for an enjoyable experience, at least a 486DX or DX2 is best. It
   is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to have a maths co-processor (387 or 486DX) on
   slower machines as the 3D geometry calculations do make use of floating-
   point maths.

   Gridfighter 3D has been tested on a everything from a 386/25 to a 1GHz
   PIII & a variety of emulators. Unfortunately the game has some issues with
   FreeDOS on VIA chipsets so if that is your setup you may need to make a
   boot disk with a different DOS; on Intel (e.g. i430TX or i440LX/BX) -based
   systems it will run under any typical DOS including FreeDOS with no drama.
   Disable EMS memory managers (EMM386, QEMM, JEMM386/EX, etc.) for a decent
   performance boost. For DOSBox you will likely need a modern system such as
   an i5 or i7.

   Fun fact: Gridfighter 3D runs in an EGA 640x350, 16/64-colour mode with
   full double buffering AND software Z buffer!

   PLAYING THE GAME
   ----------------

   Gridfighter 3D features a 6x5x8 playfield. You may move your triangular
   player piece to any grid space. Up to eight disconcertingly-square enemies
   will start at the rear of the grid and follow you around in three
   dimensions. If an enemy rams you, you die, so it's probably wise to shoot
   them before that happens. Your shots will always fire along the Z axis
   (into & out of the playfield) in both directions and will destroy all
   enemies they contact.

   The following keys control your triangle:
                                                                 
            Move along      A   Move IN and
    <   ->  the X and Y         OUT along      [ SPACE ]  Shoot      
            axes             Z  the Z axis

   In addition, you can press the following keys to change the 3D geometry
   in-game. You may need to do this to adjust the display to suit your
   headset.

    . ,  Zoom in / out      [ ]  Eye spacing    ( )  Stereo balance        o

             7, 8, 9, 0  nudge display left/down/up/right           o

             (note: text fields will not render correctly if
             you move the display completely off the screen.
             It should be obvious not to do that.)                 .
                                                                      
   ...or ESC to quit at any time.                           
                                                                         o
   We hope you enjoy this 3D action experience!                  o

   --------------
   GRIDFIGHTER 3D was originally mostly written in 48 hours at OrcaJam 2017
   by Jay Hammer (jmph) of DESiRE & P2N. Some additional code for SETMODE.COM
   was provided by Hellmood / DESiRE.                 .

   HUGE thanks to Scali, Reenigne, Trixter, Plasma & Mangis for optimization
   advice in versions post 1.2.                  .
                                                           
   GREETINGS fly out to Orby, Ramon, Starchaser, Sigflup, Alterus, Dya, cTrix,
   Sacha, Dr. Claw, Nom de Nom, everyone at OrcaJam, all our friends in the
   scene, AND YOU!                 
                                               
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       cc-by-nc-3.0                                             7
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