# The KTron Handbook

Matthias
Kiefer
10/20/1999
1.00.00
1.0
20.October 1999
M.K.
Cleaned up documentation from conversion to docbook

This Handbook describes KTron Version 1.0

KDE
kdegames
KTron
game
tron

## Introduction

KTron is a simple Tron-Clone for the K Desktop Environment. You can play KTron against the computer or a friend.

The aim of the game is to live longer than your opponent. To do that, avoid running into a wall, your own tail and that of your opponent.

## Installation

### How to obtain KTron

KTron is written for the KDE project http://www.kde.org. KTron can be found on ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/, the main ftp site of the KDE project.

### Requirements

In order to successfully compile KTron, you need KDE 2.0 All required libraries as well as KTron itself can be found on ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/.

### Compilation and installation

In order to compile and install KTron on your system, type the following in the base directory of the KTron distribution:

    % ./configure
    % make
    % make install

Since KTron uses autoconf and automake you should have not trouble compiling it. Should you run into problems please report them to the the author at Matthias Kiefer

## Playing KTron

### Rules

The rules of KTron are very simple. Once a round is started, the player donīt stop moving forward. All you have to do is avoid crashing by changing the direction. Additionaly you can try to hinder your opponent. For this it is possible to accelerate the velocity by pressing your accelerator key.

A round starts when all human players press a direction key. The initial moving direction is then this direction.

A game consists of several rounds and ends, if a player has at least nine points and additionaly two more points than the opponent. The current score is always displayed in the statusbar.

### The Computerplayer

You can let the computer play player one, player two or both players. There are three difficulty levels: Beginner,Average and Expert. If you choose Beginner, the computer doesnīt care about the opponent and just moves around. This is the same algorithm as used by xtron-1.1. At skill Average and Expert the computer tries to hinder the opponent when he comes near.

See section for information how to configure the computerplayer.

### Using the keyboard

Every player has five keys. Four keys for changing the direction and one to accelerate. You donīt have to press the direction keys all the time. Just press once, if you want to change the direction of your player. Acceleration is only activated, if the acceleration key is pressed. When you release the acceleration key, the velocity slows down to normal.

See section Key Bindings for information how to change the keys.

### Pause the game

If you want to interrupt playing, select Pause/Continue from the Game-menu or hit the keyboard shortcut (see section Key Bindings ). Additionaly the game is paused when the game looses the keyboard focus, e.g. when switching to an other window.

If you want to continue the game, use again the menuitem Pause/Continue or the keyboard shortcut. If all human players press one of their direction keys, the game continues, too. But be careful, your player switches to this direction immediately.

## Configuration

KTron has several possibilities to change its behavior and look. All options can be changed from the menu Options.

Donīt forget to save the options by selecting Save Options, if you want them set at every startup.

### Appearance

Appearance

  In the submenu Appearance you can change the colors of the players and the background. As a new feature in version 0.6 you can also load a background image. Just click on a entry and a dialog opens from which you can select a color or a background image.

Drawing style

  Choose how to draw the players from the submenu Drawing style in menu Appearance.

Size

  Choose the size of the players from the submenu Size.

### Behavior

Velocity

  Choose how fast the players should move from the submenu Velocity.

Computerplayer

  Choose which player should be played by the computer from the submenu Computerplayer. You can even let both players played by the computer. In addition you can choose at which skill the computer plays. (see section for more information)

Other

  Selecting Other... opens a dialog, where you can configure additional options. Press right mousebutton over an item to get a quick description of the option.

  Show winner by changing color

    If this is activated and a player crashes, then its color changes to the opponents color.

  Disable acceleration

    Blocks the accelerator keys. All players then can only move at normal speed.

  Name of players

    Enter here the name of the players, that will then appear in the statusbar.

### Key Bindings

All key bindings can be changed by selecting Configure Key Bindings....

Default key bindings are:

Player 1

  - Up: R

  - Down: F

  - Right: G

  - Left: D

  - Accelerate: A

Player 2

  - Up: Cursor Up

  - Down: Cursor Down

  - Right: Cursor Right

  - Left: Cursor Left

  - Accelerate: +

In addition use P to pause a game, StrgN to start a new game and StrgQ to exit KTron.

## Credits and License

KTron Copyright 1999 Matthias Kiefer matthias.kiefer@gmx.de

Parts of the code are from xtron-1.1 by Rhett D. Jacobs rhett@hotel.canberra.edu.au>

Documentation Copyright 1999 Matthias Kiefer matthias.kiefer@gmx.de

This program is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL.