KGoldrunner

KGoldrunner - Menu Options

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The Menus and the PAUSE-Resume Button

In the menu bar there are four menus, as well as the all-important PAUSE-Resume button. You need this button to stop game play while you access the menus or work in another window, though it is better to use the Escape (Esc) key as a short-cut. That way the action will stop immediately and the hero will not go astray as you move the mouse up to the menu bar.

The four menus are described in outline below. Details of all the options follow in a separate section on each menu: see The Game Menu, The Settings Menu, The Editor Menu or The KDE 2 Help Menu.

Many of the menu options also refer to and depend on the Level Selection Dialog box.

  • Game: This menu contains options affecting game play, such as starting and finishing games, saving games, loading saved games, showing high scores and getting a hint (if available).

    The Game Menu also contains the "Quit" option and an option to start the Tutorial game without going through the level selection dialog. You can also quit by clicking the "X" at the top right of the KGoldrunner window.

    For those who look for a "File" menu in this position, there is an extra copy of "Save Edits".

  • Settings: This menu has three groups of settings: the choice of KGoldrunner or Traditional playing rules (see Scoring and Rules), the detailed list of playing options and lastly the game-speed options. The current selections are ticked (or "checked", as the Americans say). The settings are automatically selected when you start playing, but you can use this menu to vary them if you wish.

  • Editor: This menu has everything you need to create your own games and levels and maintain them, including features to help you re-order levels or move them between games or to delete them when no longer needed. When you re-organize your levels, the level numbers in a game remain consecutive (no gaps) and the levels are automatically re-numbered.

    When you are using the Game Editor a graphical toolbar with tool tip text appears under the menu bar. See the Game Editor for more details of how to create and edit KGoldrunner levels.

  • Help: In the KDE 2 version of KGoldrunner, the Help menu contains an option to start the Tutorial game, an option to get a hint (if available), access to the User's Guide (this document), About KGoldrunner and About Qt Toolkit.

    In the KDE 1 version , this menu is the standard KDE 1 Help menu, containing Contents (this document, the User's Guide), About KGoldrunner and About KDE.

    If you would like to report a problem or you have some new levels to contribute, our email addresses are in the "About KGoldrunner" message.

The Game Menu

  • Start Game: Shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a game to start (at level 1).
  • Play Any Level: Shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a game and level to play.
  • Play Next: Shows the level selection dialog box with the game and level set to one more than previously. You can then choose to play that level or another.
  • Kill Hero (K): Kills the hero when he is in a position from which he cannot escape. Key K is a short-cut.
  • Start Tutorial: Starts the tutorial game, without going through the level selection dialog. At the start of each level there is a text message telling you what to do.
  • Get a Hint / NO Hint: If the current level has a hint, this option says "Get a Hint" and pops up a hint message when you select it. It says "NO Hint" if there is none. If you then select it, the message tells you yet again that there is no hint for this level.
  • Load Game: Brings up a table of previously saved games, sorted with the latest first. Each line lists the game, level, number of lives, score, day of week, date and time. If you select a line and click the OK button, that game starts at the beginning of that level and with the same lives and score you had when you saved it.
  • Save Game (S): Saves the current game, level, lives and score. The option is only available when you are just about to start a level. At other times it gives you a warning message. Before using this option, you must press Escape (Esc) to prevent the game from starting as you move the mouse, but it is much easier to use the S key as a short-cut.
  • Show High Scores: Shows a table of up to ten high scores for the currently selected game. Each line shows the player's rank and name, the level reached, the score achieved, the day of the week and the date.
  • Save Edits: This option is enabled only if you have been using the Game Editor. It brings up the level selection dialog box and lets you choose a level number and game in which to save your work. Its action is exactly the same as the Save Level option on the Editor menu and the disk icon on the edit toolbar.
  • Quit: Terminates KGoldrunner immediately. If a game is in progress, it disappears forever (unless you have just saved it) and there is no check for a high score. If you were editing a level, you are given an opportunity to save your work.

    You can also quit by clicking the "X" at the top right of the KGoldrunner window, with the same opportunity to save edits.

The Settings Menu

  • KGoldrunner Defaults: Sets KGoldruner default playing rules.
  • Traditional Defaults: Sets Traditional default playing rules.
  • More Enemies Slower: Makes enemies, bricks and the hero run slower, depending on the number of enemies in the level. Used in Traditional mode.
  • Always Collect Gold: Makes enemies always pick up gold when they come to it. Used in Traditional mode. In KGoldrunner mode, pickup is a random choice.
  • Run through Hole: Allows enemies to run horizontally through a hole dug in a brick. If they fall in from above they are captured as usual. Used in Traditional mode.
  • Reappear at Top: Makes enemies reappear at a randomly selected place near the top of the playing area when they die. Used in Traditional mode. In KGoldrunner mode they reappear where they started the level.
  • Search Strategy - Low: Makes enemies use a simple up-and-down search strategy when looking for a way to get to the hero. Used in Traditional mode.
  • Search Strategy - Med: Makes enemies search alternately up-and-down and left-and-right when looking for a way to get to the hero. Used in KGoldrunner mode.
  • Normal Speed: Sets normal game speed (12 units).
  • Beginner Speed: Sets beginner's game speed (6 units).
  • Novice Speed: Sets novice's game speed (9 units).
  • Champion Speed: Sets champion's game speed (18 units).
  • Increase Speed (+): Increases the game speed by 1 unit, up to a maximum of 24 units. The "+" key is a short-cut.
  • Decrease Speed (-): Decreases the game speed by 1 unit, down to a minimum of 3 units. The "-" key is a short-cut.

The Editor Menu

  • Create Level: Shows the edit toolbar and a blank playing area with just a hero, on which you can draw a new level. When done, use Save Level to assign the new level to a game and level number.
  • Edit Any Level: Shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a game and level to edit. You can choose a System game and level, but you get a warning that you can only save the edited level in one of your own games.
  • Edit Next: Shows the level selection dialog box with the game and level set to one more than current. You can then choose to edit that level or another.
  • Save Level: Shows the level selection dialog box with appropriate default settings for saving a new or edited level. You can change the game and level number and achieve a "Save as ..." effect. This dialog box has a special button, Level Name and Hint, which shows another dialog box where you can add an optional name and hint to your level.
  • Move Level: This is a two-part operation. Before using Move Level, you must load a level to be moved by selecting it for play or edit. The Move Level option then shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a new place for the loaded level. You can change both the game and the level number to move a level to another game or just change the level number to re-order levels within a game.
  • Delete Level: Shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a game and level to delete.
  • Create a Game: Shows a dialog box where you can enter the name of your new game, a 1-5 character prefix for level-file names, the default rules for your game (KGoldrunner or Traditional) and an optional description or comment about the game.
  • Edit Game Info: Shows the level selection dialog box, where you choose a game to be edited, then shows the game information in a dialog box where you can edit the name, rules and description, but not the file name prefix (just in case you have saved some levels).

The KDE 2 Help Menu

  • Tutorial: Starts the tutorial game, without going through the level selection dialog. At the start of each level there is a text message telling you what to do.
  • Hint / NO Hint: If the current level has a hint, this option says "Hint" and pops up a hint message when you select it. It says "NO Hint" if there is none. If you then select it, the message tells you yet again that there is no hint for this level.
  • User's Guide: Shows the KGoldrunner User's Guide (this document) in a browser window similar to those used on the Internet, but simpler.
  • About KGoldrunner: Shows a message about the version and authors of KGoldrunner, including their email addresses in case you wish to report a problem or contribute some new levels.
  • About Qt Toolkit: Shows a message about the Qt GUI toolkit used in KGoldrunner and the company which supplies it.

The KDE 1 Help Menu

  • Contents: Shows the KGoldrunner User's Guide (this document) in a browser window similar to those used on the Internet, but simpler.
  • About KGoldrunner: Shows a message about the version and authors of KGoldrunner, including their email addresses in case you wish to report a problem or contribute some new levels.
  • About KDE: Shows a message about the KDE desktop software and project.


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