Pipe Mania

Год выпуска: 1990
Издатель: Empire Software
Разработчик: Enigma Variations Ltd

На других сайтах: WorldOfSpectrum

Управление:

Pipe Mania starts on a playing grid that is empty except for the starting piece. The object is to score as many points as possible by constructing a continuous pipeline from the starting piece.

As you play, pipe sections appear in a dispenser in the left of the grid. You can place a pipe section anywhere you like, whether or not it connects with other pipe sections. In fact, you'll learn to place pieces in a pattern that anticipates connections five or ten moves in advance.

You can "bomb" any previously placed pipe section by placing a new section on top of it. The old pipe will explode and the new pipe will appear in its place. There is a short time delay for replacing pipes, and a 50 point penalty.

Once a pipe piece fills with flooz, you can no longer replace it. At the start of higher levels advanced pipe sections and obstacles will appear randomly on the grid. These pieces cannot be replaced by other pieces.

With each level you have a set amount of time in which to connect as many pipe sections as possible before the flooz starts to flow. This time decreases as you progress up through the levels. When the flooz reaches the end of your pipeline the round is over.

Once you've placed all the pipe pieces you can (or want to), press the F key and the flooz will speed up and end the round quickly. You will score double points for each additional pipe section the flooz passes through.

ADVANCING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
In order to advance to the next level, the flooz must flow through a certain number of pipes. A counter in the upper right corner of the screen indicates the minimum number of sections that must be connected within that level. The count down starts the moment the flooz starts flowing through the pipeline allowing you to keep track of how many sections still need to be connected. When the counter reaches zero, you qualify.

On higher levels things change:
• The flooz flows at a faster rate.
• Obstacles appear on the grid which you can’t "bomb”.
• Bonus pieces: Earn you extra points if the flooz goes through them.
• One-way pieces: Through which the flooz can only flow in one direction.
• End pieces: In addition to achieving the required pipeline length, the flooz must terminate in an end piece in order to advance to the next level.
• Reservoir pieces: Slow down the flooz giving you valuable extra time.
• There are sections of the grid that allow the flooz to exit one side of the screen and reappear on the opposite side.

PLAYING MODES
Pipe Mania has three playing modes: basic one-player, expert one-Player and competitive two-player. There is also a training mode that allows you to play any of these modes at a slower rate of flow. In training mode it is not possible to enter your score into the high score table.

Basic One Player: Pipe sections appear in a single dispenser on the left of the screen. You can always see the next five sections in the dispenser.

Expert one-player: Pipe sections appear in two dispensers on the left side of the screen, one above the other. The pipe sections nearest the middle of the screen are available to be placed on the grid. You can always see the next three sections in each dispenser.

Competitive two-player: As in expert mode, pipe sections appear in two dispensers on the left side of the screen. Player one uses the pipes from the top dispenser and player two uses the pipes from the bottom one.

PIPE SECTIONS
You'll encounter a variety of pipe sections, obstacles and speciality pieces as you progress through the levels of Pipe Mania.

Basic Sections. The seven basic pieces conduct the flooz straight, around corners and back through itself in a loop. Remember, the flooz flows in a straight line unless it has no other choice.

Player Two Sections. They are just like player one's pipes, except for the identifying dots andor colour differences, depending upon your computer system.

One Way Sections. The flooz can only flow in the direction of the arrow on the one way pipes. So be careful how you use them.

Start Sections. Soon after the round begins, the flooz oozes out of the starting section, identified by the letter "S”, or an arrow.

End Sections. On some levels, you'll find an end piece, identified by the letter or an arrow. Try to build a pipeline exceeds the minimum distance required and terminates in the end piece. When the flooz enters the end piece, you'll earn a 1000 point bonus. If you don't finish in the end piece you lose that level. Obstacles. You can’t “bomb” them or go through them, so you’ll have to go around them. Try to construct loops with the obstacles in the centre.

Reservoirs. These are very useful because they buy you a little extra time. The flooz has to fill the entire reservoir before it will flow out the other side. Use a reservoir before your pipeline reaches the minimum distance and earm 500 bonus points. After that you'll earn 1000 points.

Bonus Sections. Build a higher score by directing the flooz into a bonus piece. Before the minimum distance required, each bonus piece is worth 500 points. After the minimum requirement, each bonus piece is worth 1000 points.