MAZE MASTER
(Version 1.01)
Copyright © 1992 by
The Flatirons Group
1550 Kalmia Ave.
Boulder, CO 80304-1817
Member, Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
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TOPICS:
ASP Benefits for YOU
Introduction
Files
Installation
Un-Installation
Quick Start
Systems Supported
Change History
Definition of Shareware
Disclaimer - Agreement (IMPORTANT - Please read!)
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ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS (ASP)
Maze Master is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe
message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536."
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INTRODUCTION:
Maze Master is a classic maze solving game, with a computer twist. The
computer can solve the tough mazes, too! You are the mouse, peeking
over the maze to study it, getting down on all four legs to run through
it some, then peeking again!
Start with the easy mazes, then move all the way to the very tough
Monster mazes! Then raise the walls so you can't peek!
You get points for solving the maze, and bonus points if you solve it
quickly. Score enough and you can make the list of the top 5 all-time
players!
Traveling and not near your computer? Print out a book of mazes to
entertain the kids (and yourself)!
BONUS FOR REGISTERED USERS: There are great SOUND EFFECTS for
registered users running Windows 3.1, sent to you upon registration.
This program is SHAREWARE, and is not FREE! It is a copyrighted
program. After a couple of weeks of usage, you are obliged to register
the program or remove it from your computer(s). You are encouraged to
pass it along to a friend, but you must include this file and the
registration form as well. Registration entitles you to certain support
and update privaleges detailed in the Help for the program. So PLEASE
register the program so I can continue to develop others!
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FILES:
WinMaze.exe The Maze Master Game
WinMaze.hlp The help file for Maze Master (with hints!)
WinMaze.frm Simple ASCII registration form with fees
ReadMe.txt This file!
Vendor.doc A brief description of Maze Master for
BBS's and Shareware distributors.
BWCC.dll DLL for the great Borland buttons (V 1.02).
If you already have BWCC.dll, keep the latest!
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INSTALLATION:
Put the files in your favorite Windows games directory.
Follow your Windows instructions for creating an icon for the
WinMaze.exe in a program group of your choice.
OPTIONAL: Move the BWCC.dll file to your Windows\System directory.
If one is already there, keep the newest one! The included copy of
BWCC.dll supports both Windows 3.0 and 3.1.
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UN-INSTALLATION:
While I hope it will never happen, I do believe you should be able to
un-install a program. Maze Master does not modify Config.Sys,
AutoExec.Bat, Win.Ini, nor System.Ini. It does not create a new
Program Group for itself.
Besides the files listed above, it will create a private Ini file,
WinMaze.Ini, in the \Windows directory.
To un-install, simply erase this file and any files named WinMaze.*
on your disk. I suggest keeping the latest copy of BWCC.dll, but
you could delete it and later download it from CompuServe's BCPPWIN
forum if you needed it.
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QUICK START (if you are impatient like me):
In Maze Master, you are the mouse! You must trace your way from through
the maze, starting at the left and leaving the maze on the right.
The mouse shape helps you. Normally, the mouse is standing to scan the
maze. But when you press the left mouse button, your mouse gets down
on all fours at the beginning of the maze.
You can rest at any time by releasing the mouse button. Your mouse
peeks up to study the maze. Pressing down on the left mouse button again
moves you back to all fours at the point you left off.
The amount of the maze you can see varies with the size of the walls
of the maze. With low walls, you can see the whole maze before you
start (but the walls are still too high to climb). With high walls,
you can only see the walls in front, to the sides, and in back of you.
If you declare yourself a blind mouse, you can only feel the walls
around you. And if you dare, make the walls glass! With glass walls,
you can't see them, only bump your nose into them!
If you get frustrated, let the computer solve the maze by selecting
the Solve option under the Maze menu.
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SYSTEMS SUPPORTED
Maze Master has been tested under Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 with DOS
4.0 and 5.0. It has run on PS/2 Microchannel machine, Dell ISA
machine, and Zeos notebook. It has run on LCD VGA display systems,
color VGA display systems, SVGA display systems at up to 1024x768x256,
and 8514 256-color display systems.
Maze Master requires a 286 or higher processor. A Windows supported
sound board is required for the enhanced sound effects available to
registered users.
If it trips on your system, I would be very interested in knowing the
pariculars. Please send a note to CompuServe 70053,3600. Thank you.
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CHANGE HISTORY
V1.01 - Several new functions and minor updates (but lots of them):
1. I am now a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals,
an industry group which focuses on making shareware a viable
alternative source of quality, cost effective software. As a
registered user of an ASP members products, you have additional
rights and guarantees! The appropriate ASP logos and warranty
information has been added throughout the program.
2. Sound effects have been added. For Windows 3.0 users, its just
speaker beeps. But for Windows 3.1 users who can play .WAV
files, Maze Master uses both the default system events for its
dialog boxes, AND special extended sound effects using .WAV files
sent to registered users (over 500 KB of sounds)!
3. Many message dialogs now have the corresponding sound effect (for
Windows 3.1 users) or a simple beep (for Windows 3.0 users).
4. Fewer "nag" screens, both at start-up and completion. After 50
uses of the program, they occur at both start-up and completion
as in the prior version. The nag screens remind you how many
times you have played an unregistered copy.
5. Better printing! A batch printing option has been added which
you can use to print yourself a book of mazes for those long
trips. Also, a print abort dialog is presented so you can
change your mind.
6. If you choose to print a maze, the maze number is included at the
bottom. This allows you to go back to Maze Master and have the
computer solve it in the future.
7. Two new buttons have been added to make it easy to jump to the
next larger or smaller maze size. These serve as alternatives
to pulling down a menu.
8. All walls are shown upon solving a maze, even if some were hidden
during solving. You get a chance to really see how tricky it was!
9. Bonus scoring has been simplified! The bonus is not reduced to
the base score, which it was before. To compensate, the initial
bonus has been cut in half, but it runs out more slowly now as
well.
10. In the prior version, the bonus started decreasing as soon as the
maze was drawn. Now, if the walls are not visable, the bonus
doesn't begin to decrease until the mouse starts through the maze.
So, you get to take a deep breath before starting!
11. The minimum size window is fixed: It will accommodate all the
buttons in the display area AND an "expert" size maze.
12. If the screen is too small to draw the maze (either because the
maze requested is too large, or the user has resized the window),
Maze Master will issue a warning and draw the largest standard
maze which does fit.
13. New buttons have been added to the Best Scores dialog to allow
easy scrolling to the Best Scores of other maze sizes.
14. The option of having the score display above the maze has been
eliminated. I never really liked it, and the addition of the
new buttons made it impractical in its prior form.
15. The most recent Borland BWCC.DLL (Version 1.02) for the great
buttons is included. This BWCC.DLL supports both Windows 3.0
and 3.1, and is smaller than the prior version!
16. The Help file has been compressed to be about 20% smaller using
the Windows 3.1 Help Compiler. It is still viewable on Windows
3.0.
17. A registration CREDIT has been added if you do not wish a diskette
of the latest version. The latest version will be available from
most ASP-approved Shareware Vendors in a timely fashion for you to
order or download at your leisure.
18. The registration fee for non-US/non-Canadian users has been increased
to $20 (US) to cover overseas postage and handling.
V1.00 - First version released.
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DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue
using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs
differ on details -- some request registration while others
require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With
registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue
using the software to an updated program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software,
and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific
exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished
programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are
of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs
and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of
distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy
and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a
specific group. For example, some authors require written
permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their
Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You
should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook,
whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes
fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy.
And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware
has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the
product, you don't pay for it.
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DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT
Users of Maze Master must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
"Maze Master is supplied as is. The Flatirons Group disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation,
the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.
The Flatirons Group assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse-
quential, which may result from the use of Maze Master."
Maze Master is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge
to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your
friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of
another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to
provide personal computer users with quality software without
high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to
continue to develop new products. If you find this program
useful and find that you are using Maze Master and continue to use
Maze Master after a reasonable trial period, you must make a reg-
istration payment of $15 ($20 for foreign users) to The Flatirons
Group. The registration fee will license one copy for use on any one
computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like
a book. An example is that this software may be used by any
number of people and may be freely moved from one computer
location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it
being used at one location while it's being used at another.
Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the
same time.
Commercial users of Maze Master must register and pay for their
copies of Maze Master within 30 days of first use or their license
is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by con-
tacting The Flatirons Group.
Anyone distributing Maze Master for any kind of remuneration must
first contact The Flatirons Group at the address below for authorization.
This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors
recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for
shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering
Maze Master immediately. (However The Flatirons Group must still
be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the
latest version of Maze Master.)
You are encouraged to pass a copy of Maze Master along to your
friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their
copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users
will receive a copy of the latest version of the Maze Master
and support for a year.