by Richard Evans, © Alpha72 Games, 2004
Welcome to the world that is Chromentum.
The Chromates are a cute race of strange quantum particles. They travel throughout
the universe seeking intelligent forms. They are here, and are they are
studying us.
Once a world develops an internet, the Chromates release
Chromentum. If enough inhabitants can solve the puzzles, the Chromates will divulge
the secrets of the quantum universe. Opening unimagined pathways through time and
space.
Play a part in the future of mankind. Play, Chromentum.
Overview
History
System Requirements
Setup
Registration
ToolTips
Player Profiles
Main Menu
Levelset Select Screen
Level Select Screen
Play
Options
Level Completion Screen
Stars and Bonus Levels
Tipple
Editor
Levelset Manager
First Level Walkthrough
Second Level
Walkthrough
Glossary
Credits
Support
Copyright
Chromentum is a ball rolling puzzle game. The goal of each level is to occupy all the Silver Circles with stationary Silver Chromates and all the Gold Circles with stationary Gold Chromates. The player only has direct control of the Gold Chromates and can Move or Shoot them at other Chromates. By carefully selecting the Shoot strength, making plants (as in Pool or Snooker) and utilizing Slides, Corners, Ramps and Fences, the Chromates can be manipulated in a multitude of different ways.
Chromentum is a much improved rewrite of an Amiga game, that I wrote back in 1993, that never got released. Originally it was entitled "Newton's Balls", inspired by the, so called, 'Newton's Cradle', and featuring only 20 levels. Alas, I can not get the old version to work anymore so those levels are lost. The idea is loosely based on the block sliding puzzle game 'Sokoban', but takes the idea much further.
Chromentum was written over a 5 month burst of creativity using a 3D engine I pulled together in the summer of 2003.
Windows 9X,2000,ME,NT,XP
DirectX 8 or better
Open GL compatible 3D video card
Mouse and working brain
The small setup program that runs when you start Chromentum is used for registration and to set the full screen mode. Chromentum is best played at full screen 640x480, 32 bit. Once you have registered, and have everything set up to your liking, you may want to check the 'Skip Setup on Start' box, to bypass the Setup program. You will still be able to run the Setup program via the Windows Start Menu.
This Manual assumes Chromentum is registered. Unregistered users are welcome to read the manual to further gauge the benefits of registering. Registering is quick and easy. From the Setup program click the 'Buy Registration Key' button and follow the instructions. You will shortly receive an e-mail containing a Registration key, I suggest you copy and paste it, into the 'Enter Registration Key Here' box in the Setup program, to avoid typos. All features will then become accessible, with no further downloads.
Almost every button or window in Chromentum has a tooltip assigned to it to explain how to use it or what information it is giving you. Tooltips are viewed by leaving the mouse pointer stationary over the button or window for at most 2 seconds.
When you start Chromentum you will be asked to select a player name. This is used to automatically store all your personal achievements in the game, so everyone can come back later and carry on from where they left off. This is the only part of the game where you will need to use the keyboard.
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Play - Enter the Levelset Select Screen. (See Levelset Select Screen). |
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Options - Customize the game settings. (See Options). |
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Editor - Create your own levels. (See Editor). |
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Change - Player Name - Click this to change players. Leave the mouse pointer stationary over this for 2 seconds to see the current player statistics. (See Player Profiles). |
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Exit - Exit Chromentum and get back to normality. All game settings and player achievements are automatically saved for you. |
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Alpha72 - Click the logo, bottom right, to visit www.alpha72.com (this link requires an internet connection) |
A Demo mode is available by leaving the mouse pointer stationary for 30 seconds. This will play through random levels from the Tutorial. Any movement of the mouse, or a key press, will stop the demo.
As an added feature, the keys '0', '1', '2', '3' ,'4' & '5' can be used to set the number of 'cradle' swinging Chromates.
By clicking Play from the Main Menu you are taken to the Levelset Select Screen. Here you can choose which Levelset you wish to play from. First time around, the 'Tutorial' Levelset is recommended. When you have completed all the Levels in a Levelset, it will turn Gold.
The game has 324 levels which can be categorized into 7 sections:
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Tutorial - 24 levels explaining the controls and concepts needed to master Chromentum. |
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Novice, Student, Scholar & Master - 96 graduated levels encompassing all degrees of difficulty. |
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Quest - 48 levels of adventure and mystery. These levels are themed to fit in with a story of love and adventure, set in the exotic Land of Principia. |
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Miniatures - 48 small (no more than 8x8) levels providing stimulating coffee break challenges. |
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Extras - 48 levels, that I added for the hell of it, often exploiting strange ideas. |
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Bonus - 36 fun levels that basically play themselves. A little bit of thought is sometimes needed to find the key Action to set things rolling. (See Stars and Bonus Levels). |
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Tipple - When you have collected 72 Star Points, 24 special levels of Tipple will open up. (See Tipple). |
To access the User Levels or any extra installed Levels, click on 'Bonus 2' then use the 'right pointing green arrow' to navigate.
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User - 1 level to start you off on the, very enjoyable, pathway to creating your own levels. |
By clicking a Levelset in the Levelset Select Screen you are taken to the Level Select Screen. From here you can navigate to any Level in the game by clicking the green arrows adjacent to the Levelset Name or clicking the Levelset Name itself, then clicking on a different Levelset.
Just click on any highlighted level to play it. Note, on larger levels, and especially on slower machines, there might be a delay of some seconds here, please be patient. The Game is generating an optimized 3D model of the level which will speed things up later on.
Darkened levels are not immediately accessible but will open up as you complete earlier levels in that Levelset. Usually you are not allowed more than 6 uncompleted levels in a Levelset. In the Tutorial and Quest Levelsets this is reduced to 1, as it is important to play these Levelsets in strict order. The Bonus Levels are unlocked differently. (See Stars and Bonus Levels).
Gold levels are the ones you have previously completed. There will also be a Star on the completed levels telling you how well you did. (See Stars and Bonus Levels).
The basics of Play are explained in the Tutorial levels. (For a more detailed explanation see Physics).
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Level Name - This may be a subtle clue on how to complete the level or just a visually relevant label. |
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Undo - This is the button in the top left of the screen. Left click it to Undo your last Action. (See Undo). |
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Options - This is the question mark in the bottom right of the screen. (See Options). |
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Exit - The red 'X' in the top right of the screen will take you back to the Level Select Screen. Note that your progress in the current level will not be saved. |
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Solution - If you have turned on Solutions in the Options screen, at the start of the level a green play triangle will appear in the bottom left of the screen. This button will only appear at the very start of a level and disappear after your first Action. Click this to watch the optimum solution. Holding the mouse pointer stationary over this button will bring up information about the optimum solution. |
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Actions/Work - If you have turned on this feature in the Options screen, it will appear in the bottom left of the screen after your first Action. It will keep you informed of your current number of Actions and Work value, together with the Optimum values beneath in brackets. |
To complete a level you have to occupy all the Circles with stationary Chromates. Gold circles with Gold Chromates and Silver Circles with Silver Chromates.
You have direct control of only the Gold Chromates. These you can Move with the left mouse button, or Shoot with the right mouse button.
You can select a Gold Chromate by left clicking it. Left clicking a Chromate (Gold or Silver) makes it jump so you can see under or behind it. Note, Selecting does not count as an Action, and will not affect your Actions or Work values.
You can make a Gold Chromate Move anywhere on the level provided there is a free path available between the Gold Chromate and the destination. A Green or Red line will appear showing you the shortest path between the two points, a left mouse click will move the Gold Chromate along the line.
You can only shoot in straight lines, when there is a Red line between the mouse pointer and the Gold Chromate. The length of this line determines how much Momentum the Gold Chromate will have when it reaches the end of the line. Note that the tile types under the red line play no part in this calculation.
It is usually best to use trial and error in calculating which strength of Shoot to use. You will soon pick up the basic principle that, on Floor tiles, the Chromate will travel twice the length of the Red line. (For a more advanced explanation see Play - Physics).
An Action is either a Move or a Shoot. After any Action the consequences of that Action are resolved. During this stage the mouse pointer will fade out a little and you will have no further control until ALL the Chromates come to rest, OR all the Circles have been occupied by stationary Chromates. Should you setup an infinite loop, where some Chromates will never come to rest, you can use the 'Undo' button to go back to just before your last action and try something else.
Actions can indirectly affect Chromates. If your action results in a Chromate being stationary on a Ramp, then provided it is not blocked it will start to roll down the ramp, attain Momentum, and cause subsequent events that must be resolved.
A moving Chromate will continue moving in a straight line until it;
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runs out of Momentum and stops. |
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runs out of Momentum on a Ramp and reverses direction. |
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hits a Corner and changes direction. |
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hits a Wall and stops. |
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reaches the edge of the level and stops. |
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hits a stationary Chromate and stops, transferring its Momentum to the other Chromate. |
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is blocked by a moving Chromate and stops. |
A stationary Chromate will start moving if it;
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is hit by a moving Chromate. |
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is hit by a Chromate, that is hit by a moving Chromate, etc. |
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is on a ramp and can roll down unhindered. |
Click 'Undo' to take back your last Action. Repeated left clicks will keep Undoing Actions all the way back to the start of the level. Alternatively, you can right click the button then select 'Restart' to restart the level, or 'Continue' to cancel the right click and carry on.
After an Undo your Actions/Work values will revert to their previous values. If an Action has no effect, (i.e. all the Chromates end up just as they were before the Action), then the Action is not added to the Undo list and your Actions/Work values will not change.
During playback of a level from a 'Replay' or 'Solution' command, the Undo button will stop the playback and restart the level.
If a moving Chromate hits a stationary Chromate, the moving Chromate will stop and the stationary Chromate will move of with the same Momentum the moving Chromate had.
If a moving Chromate's path is blocked by another Chromate that is also moving, then the blocked Chromate will stop and the other one will continue, unaffected by the collision.
If, during a collision, ALL Circles are occupied with correct stationary Chromates, the level is completed, even if the collision would cause a Chromate to move off a circle.
As you play through Chromentum, you will soon learn how to predict what Shoot strengths you need to achieve desired results. Trial and error is a perfectly good strategy to employ, since you can freely use Undo as often as you like, with no recriminations.
Understanding the following explanations is not necessary for completing Chromentum, but knowledge of the underlying principles at work, may help on the more advanced levels.
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Unit of Momentum. This is the amount of Momentum a Gold Chromate has after a Shoot, when the Red Shoot line was of length 1. |
There are 3 basic tile surfaces Floor, Slide and Ramp. Each of these affects the Momentum of a Chromate, as it traverses them, in different ways.
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Floor - Crossing a Floor Tile uses 1 Unit of Momentum. |
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Slide - Crossing a Slide Tile uses 0 Units of Momentum. |
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Ramp, Ascend - Ascending a Ramp Tile uses 1 Unit of Momentum. (Ramps are inclined Slides). |
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Ramp, Descend - Descending a Ramp Tile gains 1 Unit of Momentum. |
To quickly calculate how much Momentum is required for a chain reaction; For each Chromate, add up the number of Floor tiles and ascending Ramps then subtract the number of descending Ramps and just ignore slides. This will give you the amount of Momentum, equal to the length of Red Line, you will need.
Here, for the leftmost Silver Chromate we count 1 for the Floor Tile, for the middle Silver Chromate subtract 1 for the descending the ramp and then add 1 for the Floor, and for the last Silver Chromate we add another 1 for the Floor Tile . This gives us a total of 1 - 1 + 1 + 1 = 2, so we would need a Red Line of length 2 to complete the Level.
Using this rule of thumb, you can easily estimate the strength of shot required in most cases.
Unfortunately the Rule of Thumb breaks down in more advanced situations.
Here the Rule of Thumb would say we need 1 + 1 = 2 Momentum to complete the level. Actually only 1 Momentum is needed.
To explain this we have to think in Half Units.
When a Chromate starts moving, or immediately after a Shoot, the Chromate is in the centre of a Tile. As the Chromate moves off the tile, it only has to traverses half of the tile before moving onto the next one. Therefore only one half of the tiles effect is applied to the Chromate. Only when the Chromate traverses a full tile is the full effect of the tile applied.
In the above example, if we Shoot the Gold Chromate it will have 1 Momentum when it hits the Silver Chromate. The Silver Chromate moves off with 1 Momentum, traverses half a Slide Tile (no effect), then half a Floor Tile (-½ Momentum), before it hits the second Silver Chromate. The second Silver Chromate moves off with ½ Momentum, traverses half a Slide Tile (no effect), then half a Floor Tile (-½ Momentum). It's Momentum is now 0 and it stops.
In circumstances where the Chromate's Momentum reaches 0 when the Chromate is between tiles, the Chromate will slowly crawl to the centre of the next tile, and settle there.
At any time during Play, you can press the 'P' key to Pause the game.
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Solutions - Click this to access the (hopefully!) optimum solutions
for the levels. I strongly urge you to use this feature only as a last resort.
It's better to leave a hard level for a few days and come back to it after you
have completed some other levels that might give you some new insights. Also,
the enjoyment factor of beating a tricky level is what puzzle gaming is all
about. Once you stray into the realms of can't be bothered, and resort to the
Solutions, your enjoyment of the rest of the game will diminish and it is only
you that loses out. There are always lots of other levels to play if you are
getting bogged down. So why are they here at all? Well, to give you the
confidence that there is a solution, that it is possible, that this level
isn't bugged. Sometimes the Level Name may be a cryptic hint about its solution. You will not win any Star Points this way, but may use this to progress to the next level. |
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Full Screen - Use this to toggle between windowed mode and full screen mode. |
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Sounds Volume - Set the sound effects volume. Leftmost for off. |
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Music Volume - Set the music volume. Leftmost for off. |
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Performance - Disabling some or all of these settings may improve performance on lower
specification machines. Backdrop - Toggle the rotating backdrop effect. Starfield - Toggle the starfield effect. Cuteness - Toggle the Chromates into chrome balls and use simpler sound effects. 3D Balls - Toggle between 3D Chromates and 2D Sprite Chromates. Actions/Work - Toggles a little window showing your current Actions and Work values. Invaluable when going for Gold Stars with optimum solutions. |
This appears when you successfully complete a level.
The window, beneath the Level Name, gives you a little message commenting on your performance. Beneath this are two windows telling you how many Actions, and how much Work you did.
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Actions - This value is how many Moves and Shoots you needed to complete the level. |
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Work - This value is the sum of all your Move distances and Shoot strengths. |
Below these is a window that compares your solution with the optimum solution. The optimum solution is the solution that uses the fewest Actions. If two Solutions have the same number of Actions, the more efficient of the Solutions, (i.e. the one with the lowest Work value), is considered 'more optimum'. Note, a level may have many differing Optimum Solutions.
If your Actions Value is higher than the optimum Actions
Value, you will be told the optimum Actions Value, and are awarded a Silver
Star.
If your Action value equals the optimum Actions value but your
Work value is higher, you are told the optimum Work value, and are awarded a
Silver Star.
If you equal the optimum solution you are told so, and are awarded a Gold Star.
Should you find a solution better than the optimum!, your
solution will replace the optimum solution and you can feel very proud of
yourself, and are awarded a Gold Star.
Next is your current Star Points total and the maximum Star Points available. (See Stars and Bonus Levels).
At the bottom is a Replay window. Clicking this will allow you to sit back and watch how you completed the level. You can use the Undo button, top left, to interrupt the playback and restart the level.
The OK button will take you directly to the next level.
If you have unlocked a Bonus Level, you will be told so in the performance window, a 'Play Bonus' button will appear in between the 'Replay' and 'OK' buttons. Click this, or the performance window, to play the new Bonus Level.
Circling all these windows are Gold and Silver Stars showing you your Levelset progress. (See Stars and Bonus Levels).
Every completed level earns you either a Silver Star or Gold Star, depending on your performance. Silver Stars are worth 1 Star Points, and Gold Stars, 2 Star Points. If you complete a level, and equal the optimum solution for that level, you earn a Gold Star. At any time, you can replay levels that you only got a Silver Star on, and try to get the Gold Star. Go to the Level Select Screen to see on which levels you achieved a Gold star.
For every 12 Star Points you collect a new Bonus Level will become accessible. You can play the Bonus Level directly by clicking the 'Bonus Level Unlocked' button, or the 'Play Bonus' button, on the Level Completion Screen. Or navigate there via the Levelset Select Screen at your leisure. You also get Stars for completing the Bonus Levels, so don't miss them out.
Bonus Levels never require more than 1 Action to complete. Some Bonus Levels just play themselves so you can sit back, take a break, and get a free Gold Star.
You can see how many Star Points you have, and how many you require to access the next Bonus Level, by going to the Main Menu and leaving the mouse pointer stationary over the 'Change - Player Name' window for a couple of seconds. This also tells you what percentage of the maximum number of Star Points attainable (648), you have. You are also told your Star Points value whenever you complete a level.
Note that Star Points earned on User Levels do not count towards your Star Points total.
When you have earned 72 Star Points, a new Levelset called 'Tipple' will appear in the Levelset Select Screen.
Tipple is variation of Chromentum where instead of Moving and Shooting, you Tilt the level to make the Chromates start rolling. All the same rules apply for completing the levels as in Chromentum. There are 4 directional buttons for choosing which way to Tilt, these can be activated with the Mouse or via the Keyboard directional arrow keys. Star Points earned in Tipple also count towards your Star Point total.
Okay, there's a lot to get through here, but take heed that many of the features were added after the game levels were created!, so you just need the basics to get your first levels working.
First a couple of useful definitions.
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Lmb - a left mouse button click. |
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Rmb - a right mouse button click. |
Two Level Walkthroughs are provided for those that want to dive straight in. (See First Level Walkthrough and Second Level Walkthrough).
Lmb for a basic help screen. Note, all the buttons have Tooltips which give some basic guidance on their usage.
This is the heart of the editor and I suggest you make good use of all the features, as this will greatly speed up and simplify the editing process.
The window in the top right of the screen displays the current brush. Lmb this to cycle through the brushes, Rmb to cycle backwards.
There are keyboard shortcuts for setting the Brush;
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Floor - 'F' |
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Corner - 'FF' |
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Slide - 'S' |
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Slide Corner - 'SS' |
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Wall - 'W' |
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Ramp - 'R' |
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Gold Ball - 'G' |
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Gold Circle - 'GG' |
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Silver Ball - 'V' (Think, silVer) |
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Silver Circle - 'VV' |
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Fence - 'T' (Think, TTTTT looks like a fence) |
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Cover - 'X' |
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Empty - 'SPACE' |
Lmb on the level to paste the brush. Note, with Empty, Floor, Slide and Wall Brushes, you can hold down the left mouse button and paste to multiple tiles.
Rmb on the level to set the brush from the current highlighted tile. Repeatedly Rmb on a tile to cycle through different cohabiting components.
A Tile has 4 different components.
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Basic Tile - Floor, Slide, Wall, Corner, Slide Corner, Ramp or Empty. |
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Ball - Gold, Silver or none. |
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Extra - Fence, Cover or none. Note, you cannot have a Cover and a Fence on the same tile. Also you can only have one Fence per Tile. Since a fence affects 2 Tiles and can therefore be on either of the two tiles, it is usually possible, with a little bit of management, to construct most scenarios. |
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Circles - Gold, Silver or none. |
Most of these components can happily cohabit on a tile, the following restrictions apply;
Nothing can cohabit with an Empty tile.
Circles and Covers cannot cohabit with Ramps.
To rotate a Corner, Slide Corner, Ramp or Fence, Lmb a like brush onto the
tile.
To remove a Circle, Cover or Ball, Lmb a like brush onto the tile.
To remove a Fence, Hold down 'CTRL' and Lmb a Fence onto the tile.
Pasting a Basic Tile will remove all other components from the tile. Hold down
'CTRL' as you paste a Basic Tile to conserve any existing components.
If you have a level with multiple Gold balls, and you wish to designate which one is Selected at the start of the level. Hold down 'CTRL' as you paste the gold ball. A gold star will appear above this ball showing you it is the default start ball.
To select an area hold down 'SHIFT' and drag a rectangle over the Level. You can deselect an area by Rmb on the level.
There are many things you can do with an area:
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Fill - To Fill an area with the current brush, Lmb the 'Fill' button. Using 'Fill' on an area that contains all Corners, Slide Corners, Ramps or Fences, with a like brush, will rotate all the Tiles. |
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Raise - To raise an area, Lmb the 'Underlined Up Arrow' button, or rotate the mouse wheel forwards. Maximum elevation is 4 units. |
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Lower - To Lower an area, Lmb the 'Underlined Down Arrow' button, or rotate the mouse wheel backwards. |
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Reposition - To reposition an area Lmb the 'Left', 'Right', 'Up' or 'Down' Buttons. (See also Copy). |
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Flip Horizontal - Rmb either the 'Left' or 'Right' buttons. |
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Flip Vertical - Rmb either the 'Up' or 'Down' buttons. |
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Copy - To copy an area hold down the 'CTRL' key. A second area will appear showing you where the copy will go. Lmb to copy. |
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Copy Rotate - To copy and rotate an area, hold down the
'ALT' key. A
second area will appear showing you where the rotated copy will go. Lmb to
copy rotate. This can
be over the original area. Note the highlight in the top left of the original
area this is the pivot tile for the rotation and maps to the top right of the
rotated area. The rotation is 90º clockwise about the pivot tile. Other
rotations can be achieved by using combinations of Copy Rotate, vertical flip
and
horizontal flips. 180° Rotation - Copy Area then do a Flip Vertical and a Flip Horizontal of the copy. 270° Rotation - Copy Rotate Area then do a Flip Vertical and a Flip Horizontal of the copy. |
Lmb to Load or save the Level. Save frequently and use 'Load' to revert to the last save after any accidents. Save generates a thumbnail picture of the level.
Lmb to exit the editor. All current changes will be lost, so Save first.
Lmb to edit the next level. Rmb to edit the previous level. Maximum value is 24 or 1 more than the current number of levels in the Levelset, whichever is the smallest. All current changes will be lost, so Save first.
Lmb to increase. Maximum value 25.
Rmb to decrease. Minimum value 3.
Care must be taken when decreasing, as rows and columns are removed alternately from opposite sides. If in doubt do an increase first, then, if need be, reposition the level with a gap either side and decrease twice.
Lmb the 'Left', 'Right', 'Up' and 'Down' buttons to move the entire level in that direction. Empty tiles are added and one row or column is removed.
Rmb the 'Left' or 'Right' buttons to flip the level
horizontally.
Rmb the 'Up' or 'Down' buttons to flip the level vertically.
If you have an Area selected, Lmb will reposition just the Area, and Rmb will flip just the Area horizontally or vertically, as described above.
Select an area and raise or lower it with these buttons. You can also use the mouse wheel to do these actions. The mouse wheel can also be used to raise or lower the currently highlighted single tile, but only when NO Area is selected.
Lmb to test your level. A quick save of changes is performed before testing. You should do a proper 'Save' when the level is complete as this will also generate a thumbnail for the Levelset Screen.
Lmb to fill a selected Area with the current brush. You can use this repeatedly to rotate ramps, corners and fences.
Lmb and Rmb to set your preferred graphic theme for the level.
Lmb to enter the Camera setup screen.
Here you can set a dynamic camera position to make your levels look more interesting. Remember that the controls apply to the Camera's position and NOT the Level's position.
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Directional arrow keys control the rotation of the Camera |
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'S', 'Z', 'X' & 'C' control the position of the Camera relative to its rotation. |
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'CTRL' to zoom in, 'ALT' to zoom out. |
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Hold down 'SHIFT' to do fine controls. |
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'SPACE' will reset the camera to a default position. |
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'ENTER' will exit the Camera Setup. |
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Rmb will exit the Camera Setup and restore the original Camera Position. |
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Use the mouse to move the help window somewhere out of the way. |
It can take a while to get used to the controls, just bear with it.
Be wary of using extreme camera positioning, as this can make the levels impossible or very awkward to play. Always play through a level after repositioning the Camera to ensure it is still possible.
Rmb to cycle through messages.
Lmb to edit and set the position of a message.
'M 0', 'M 1', 'M 2', 'M 3' & 'M 4' are messages you can display anywhere on the
screen during Play.
'INT' is an Introductory message displayed at the beginning of a level.
'END' is a short message that is displayed in the Performance Window on the Level Complete Screen.
When editing a message you can use CTRL + ENTER to start a new line. Use ENTER alone to set the text. Use the Mouse to position where the message should appear on the screen (M0, M1, M2, M3 & M4 only). Delete all text to stop the message being displayed.
Lmb to cycle through Action flags.
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M S - Move and Shoot enabled. |
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M - Move enabled. (Shoot disabled) |
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S - Shoot enabled. (Move disabled) |
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TIP - Build your own Tipple levels. (See Tipple). |
A tick here shows that the level has a solution. It may not be a working solution if you have changed the level since first completing it. Lmb to remove the solution and allow you to record a correct one. Every time a Level is completed the new solution is compared to the Optimum Solution. If an improved solution has been found the Level will automatically be saved along with the new Optimum Solution.
Lmb to edit the Level name. Avoid long names as these will not fit into the space available on the Play screen. Choose witty titles that describe the Level or provide some hint towards the solution.
Here are some guidelines to designing interesting Levels;
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Theme. Try to keep a basic idea going throughout the level, or build the Level around a theme. |
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Avoid Repetition. If you have a good idea don't over do it, try to think of variations, even if these are just rotations and flips, so that the player isn't doing exactly the same thing over and over. |
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Camera. The ability to reposition the camera can have advantages and disadvantages, use this wisely. Just a simple 45° rotation can often make a level seem harder than it actually is. |
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Succinctness. Every tile, and Chromate, must have a reason for being there. This can be aesthetic, symmetric, decoying, obstructive, instructive or just plain necessary. If you can't justify a tile, take it out and the Level will improve. |
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Self Building Levels. Some Levels will quite happily build themselves. Once you have the idea, implementing it will often create problems, once you have resolved these you will realize the level is complete. |
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Minimalism. My motto is 'You can do more with less'. It would have been easy to add one way tiles, conveyer belts, Gold only tiles, etc. and end up with a plethora of tile types. With a little bit of work, all these concepts can be replicated in many different ways using only the basic tiles that are available. So you see, 'more with less'. |
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Style. When building a Levelset keep a fixed style going. This is best done by using Walls in various, but consistent, ways. In effect they are no different to Empty tiles, yet they can create many different stylistic themes. |
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Bonus. The Bonus Levels are the most fun to build. Just think of ANYTHING, then try to get it working, that is a game in itself. |
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Avoid Cooks. This is a chess problem term, and means, an alternative unintended solution. You have to be very careful that your levels don't have a 'cheat' solution. Cooks can often be fixed with a strategically placed Fence, however this can damage the aesthetics of your level so look for a better fix if you can. |
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Start all Over Again. If it just isn't working or you are cursing me for not making the maximum level size 25x25 so you can do this, this and this. Scrap it and start again. Often the second, or third, reworking is much easier to do and results in better levels. |
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Level Name. Often the hardest part of designing the level is thinking of a title. I suggest getting a drink, sitting down and watching the Solution, then using the first thing that comes into your head. Witty Level names are always good especially if the meaning dawns on a player just after completing the level. |
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Creativity. This is a commodity. It will run out with over use and will not always be there after a rest. If it's on holiday, do something else. |
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Graphics. Somehow, one of the Graphic Sets will always fit a Level better that the others. Set this option last. |
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Solution. Endeavor to find the optimum solution, as this is the most rewarding way to complete a level, and provides the creator with a unintended challenge. |
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Break the Rules. The last and most important rule. (Only do it tastefully!). |
If you are constructing complicated levels where timings are critical, the orientation of the Level will start to come into effect. You may have a wonderfully clever section that works fine, but upon rotation fails. This is because of the order in which Balls are processed in the Resolve stage. Though it may seem haphazard, it is consistent.
From the Editor, click the large thumbnail window in the bottom left of the screen to access the Levelset Manager. Note you may want to 'Save' any changes you have made before doing this.
This works similar to the in game Levelset Select Screen.
This is the Button to the left of the Exit Button.
The Clipboard has 5 functions, use Lmb to cycle through them, then Rmb on a Level to execute the command.
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Copy - Copy a Level to the Clipboard. |
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Delete - Remove a Level from the Levelset. |
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Insert - Provided there is room, Inserts the Clipboard Level into the Levelset. The Clipboard level is inserted at the level you Rmb on, this level and all subsequent levels move up one. |
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Insert Last - Special command that inserts the Clipboard Level as the last level. It doesn't matter which level you Rmb on. |
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Swap - This command swaps the Clipboard Level with the one you Rmb on. Tip: to swap Levels A and B, just Rmb A, Rmb B then Rmb A again. This leaves the Clipboard unchanged and swaps the two levels. |
Lmb to rename the Levelset. Edit the text and press ENTER. During the rename you can press ESCAPE or Lmb outside the Levelset name window to cancel input and revert back to the original name.
Lmb to Create a new Levelset. Levelset names are restricted to 8 alphanumeric characters with no leading spaces. If the Levelset you are trying to Create already exists, you will be taken to the existing one.
Lmb to Increase, Rmb to decrease. This is the number of unsolved levels you want to allow players when progressing through your Levelset. Set to 1 for strict order, set to 24 for complete access to all levels. Default Value 6.
Lmb to Reload current Levelset.
Lmb to Save any changes to the Levelset. Note any changes will be lost if you exit this screen OR switch to a different Levelset without Saving.
All Levelsets are stored in the Levels directory of wherever Chromentum was installed, (default "c:\Program Files\Chromentum\Levels"). To add extra Levelsets, exit Chromentum, paste them into this directory, and restart Chromentum.
Here are two Editor Level Walkthroughs to give you a basic working knowledge of how to use the Editor and the Levelset Manager.
1. Enter the Editor from the Main Menu.
2. Lmb (Left Mouse Button Click) the 'ID 01' so it reads 'ID 02'. You are now
editing the second level which should be an 8x8 grid of Empty tiles.
3. Rmb (Right Mouse Button Click) the 'Height 08' 5 times until it reads 'Height 03'.
4. Lmb the Brush button, this is the big button in the top right. It should now
display a single Floor tile.
5. Lmb 8 Floor tiles onto the Level in a horizontal line along the middle row.
6. Lmb 1 Floor tile anywhere on the top row. We will now remove this tile.
7. Rmb any remaining Empty tile on the Level. This will set the brush to an Empty
tile.
8. Lmb this Empty tile over the Floor tile on the top row.
9. Lmb the Brush button, until a Ramp is displayed. If you pass it you can Rmb to
cycle backwards. Alternatively just press 'R' to set the Brush to a Ramp.
10. Lmb on the rightmost floor tile. You now have a Ramp, unfortunately it is
pointing the wrong way. Lmb on the Ramp to rotate it. This technique is also used
to rotate Corners and Fences.
11. Now to add some Chromates. Lmb the Brush button to get a Silver ball. Lmb this
on the level 3 tiles to the left of the Ramp.
12. Now add a Gold Ball to the leftmost Floor tile and a Silver Circle next to the
Ramp.
Ok, that's it. Click the 'Test' button and see if everything works. One big
Shoot should complete the level.
Just a little tidying up to do. Lmb the 'Level Name' button and type in a name
for the level, e.g. 'My First Level'.
Lmb the 'Save' button, this will generate a thumbnail picture for the level
that will appear in the Levelset Screen.
1. Lmb the Thumbnail picture in the bottom left of the screen.
2. You are now in the Level Select Manager. In the top left, next to the 'Exit'
button is the Clipboard. It should be set to 'Copy' if not Lmb the Clipboard
to change the command.
3. Now Rmb on Level 2. A Copy of Level 2 should appear in the Clipboard.
4. Lmb the Clipboard until it says 'Insert Last'. Now Rmb Level 2 and a new copy
of Level 2 will appear as Level 3. Lmb Level 3 to edit it.
5. Lmb the 'Up Arrow'. This will move the entire level up one row.
6. Lmb the 'Width 08' button twice.
7. Now Hold down the Left Shift Key and drag a rectangle over the top row.
8. Lmb the 'Underlined Up Arrow' to raise the selected area, alternatively if you
have a Mouse wheel you can rotate this forwards 1 notch to raise the area.
9. Now on the top row, add a Floor tile to the left of the Gold ball, and a Slide
Corner next to the ramp that turns left and down. You will have to raise the
Slide Corner 1 notch to align with the top of the ramp.
10. Rmb the Gold Ball to set the Brush. Lmb the gold ball to remove it, and add a
new one in the top left corner.
11. From the Slide Corner build a series of slides and ramps for the ball to roll
along, and down, make the level bigger if you like. Place a Silver Circle at the end of
the slide and remove the old Silver Circle by Lmb a Silver Circle on the
Circle, or
just Lmb a Floor tile over the Circle. Rename the level, Save it and test it.
You should now know enough to build your own levels!
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Action - Move or Shoot. |
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Actions - Total number of Move and Shoots. |
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Bonus Level - Specially designed level, usually of great complexity, that can be solved with 1 or less(!) Actions. |
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Button - See Window |
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Chromate - Gold or silver chrome ball. |
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Chromentum - The Game. |
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Circle - Required final position for a Chromate. |
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Corner - A Corner. Takes 1 Momentum to cross. |
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Cover - Prevents any Actions on Tile. Also prevents selection of Gold Chromates which are under a Cover. |
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Empty - An empty tile. Obstructs Chromates. Stops moving Chromates. |
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Work - Total of Move distances and Shoot strengths. |
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Fence - Barrier to Chromates over which collisions can still occur. |
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Floor - A normal floor tile. Takes 1 Momentum to cross. |
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Gold Star - Awarded for Levels completed with optimum Actions and Work. Worth 2 Star Points. |
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Instant - The split second that occurs during a collision when both balls are stationary. |
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Levelset - A group of, usually 24, levels. |
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Lmb - Left mouse button click. |
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Momentum - Unit of momentum equal to a Shoot strength of 1 tile. |
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Move - Moving a Gold Chromate with the Lmb. |
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Optimum Solution - A solution that uses the least number Actions, and also has the lowest Work value. |
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Ramp - An inclined Slide. Takes 1 Momentum to ascend. Gives 1 Momentum when descending. |
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Rmb - Right mouse button click. |
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Select - Selecting control of a Gold Chromate. |
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Shoot - Shooting a Gold Chromate with the Rmb. |
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Silver Star - Awarded for Levels completed with suboptimal Actions and Work. Worth 1 Star Point. |
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Slide - A slide tile. Takes 0 Momentum to cross. |
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Slide Corner - A Corner. Takes 0 Momentum to cross. |
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Solution - Anyway of completing a level. |
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Star Points - Number of Silver Stars + 2 x number of Gold Stars collected. A maximum of 648 Star Points is attainable. |
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Tile - A single grid location in the Editor. |
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Tipple - A variant of Chromentum that uses level tilting as the basic Action. |
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Tooltip - Message displayed by holding mouse stationary over a Button or Window. |
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Undo - To take back an Action. |
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Wall - A wall tile. Obstructs Chromates. Stops a moving Chromate. |
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Window - A rectangular box containing text or graphics. Can usually be clicked, or will have an associated Tooltip. |
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Work - Total of Move distances and Shoot strengths. |
Original concept, Programming, Level Design, Graphics, Music, Sounds and
Testing - Richard Evans
Additional Testing - Rachell, Craig, Ric, Sout, Bridget, John, Marian, Phil.
Chromentum utilizes the Bass sound library.
Additional thanks to Sir Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727) for inspiring the beguiling
cradle, that inspired this game.
Please feel free to send any questions, suggestions, problems, feedback or better still your own Level creations to support@alpha72.com. Thank you.
Any Levels sent in may appear on the website at some future date, check www.alpha72.com for details.
Registered users are granted permission to print one hard copy of this document for personal use only.
Copyright © Alpha72 Games, 2004.