Madblox README
Version 1.00

Thanks for downloading Madblox!  For information on how to play, check the user's guide in the doc directory.  For information on how to install madblox, read on:

 
INSTALLATION
 
Madblox requires the SDL library and SDL_mixer library to run on Windows and Linux.  If you have Linux, you probably already have a recent version of these libraries installed.  If not, however, binaries are included in this download, in the linux_sdl or windows_sdl directories.  If you already have SDL installed and don't want to use these binaries, you may delete them.

On Windows, to use the libraries, nothing need be done.  They're already in the proper place.  If you use Linux, just run the "install.sh" script from the madblox directory.  This will create a "madblox" script for you to use when running the game.
 
If you want to get the latest and greatest SDL libraries, or want to see the source code, check the file called SDL_Readme.txt in the doc directory.
 
SDL is released under the Lesser GNU Public License (LGPL), which is also available in the doc directory, in the file called SDL_License.txt.


RUNNING THE GAME

Madblox is designed to be run in the directory where it was unpacked.  To run the game...

On Windows:
Open the Madblox directory and click on "madblox.exe"

On Linux:
If you ran the install.sh script, run the resulting "madblox" script, either in a terminal window, or using a directory manager like nautilus.

If you didn't run the install.sh script, open a terminal window, cd to the madblox directory and run "madblox-game".
 

WITCHSPIRE

Be sure to check the Witchspire website for new versions of Madblox! and any other games I may be
working on!  Go to http://www.witchspire.com/
 
The site also includes the SDL downloads mentioned above, as well as help forums and other Madblox-related silliness.

 
CHANGES

1.00
- Fixed a case where the falling shape could move partially out of the side of the board.
- Fixed the shape not centering correctly on in the "Next" window
- Added registration confirmation.  Changed lack of registration to not impose a level limit.  It now just prevents saving the game and saving high scores.


0.92b
- Fixed a bug in the 'w', 'a', 's', 'd' controls that caused pressing  'a', 's', and 'd' to cause the shape to continuously move in the direction pressed -- even after the player had released the key.
- Fixed a bug with incorrectly-calculated score multipliers.  You properly get 1x for first row, 2x for second, 4x for third, etc..


0.91b
- Added left-handed controls to the windows/linux versions.  You can now use the 'w', 'a', 's', 'd' keys to turn the shape and move it left, down, and right.  This also allows two-handed control, using one to move the shape and the other to turn it.
- Fixed a bug with input preventing you from being able to smoothly move the shape left/right and continuously turn it using the up key.


0.9b
- Reduced the size of the buttons on the options screen
- Reduced the number of blocks to advance to the next level, reduced shape speed gain per level slightly to compensate.
- Pressing left/right now moves the shape from a slower rate to full speed over a period of 0.5s.  This makes it much easier to move the shape just one column over, while preserving the ability to quickly move it across the screen.
- The fly-up text that appears when a row is completed now indicates the multiplier for completing the row, rather than the score for completing a single row.
- Added application icons to both Windows and Linux versions.
- Fixed wording on "hit key to exit" message.
- Reworked all in-game UI to be more consistent.  Both keyboard and mouse control are supported on all menus in the game.
- The shapes now rotate counter-clockwise instead of clockwise.
- It's now possible to move and rotate the shape at the same time.
- Fixed the bug where a shape could not be rotated until it was fully on-screen.  Shapes can now be rotated as soon as they begin falling.
- Reduced the frequency of the madblox to increase game challenge.


0.9a
- First released version.  No changes