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0001 <?xml version="1.0" ?> 0002 <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//KDE//DTD DocBook XML V4.5-Based Variant V1.1//EN" "dtd/kdedbx45.dtd" [ 0003 <!ENTITY % English "INCLUDE" > <!-- change language only here --> 0004 <!ENTITY % addindex "IGNORE"> <!-- do not change this! --> 0005 ]> 0006 0007 <book id="kblackbox" lang="&language;"> <!-- do not change this! --> 0008 <bookinfo> 0009 <title>The &kblackbox; Handbook</title> <!-- This is the title of the docbook. Leave as is unless change is necessary.--> 0010 <!-- List of immidiate authors begins here. --> 0011 <!--INPORTANT! - All other contributors: [to be determined] --> 0012 <authorgroup> 0013 <author> 0014 &Nicolas.Roffet; &Nicolas.Roffet.mail; 0015 </author> 0016 0017 <author> 0018 &Robert.Cimrman; &Robert.Cimrman.mail; 0019 </author> 0020 0021 <author> 0022 &Philip.Rodrigues; &Philip.Rodrigues.mail; 0023 </author> 0024 0025 <othercredit role="reviewer"> 0026 &Lauri.Watts; &Lauri.Watts.mail; 0027 </othercredit> 0028 0029 <!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS --> 0030 0031 </authorgroup> 0032 0033 <copyright> 0034 <year>2007</year> 0035 <holder>&Nicolas.Roffet;</holder> 0036 </copyright> 0037 <legalnotice>&FDLNotice;</legalnotice> 0038 <date>2021-06-24</date> 0039 <releaseinfo>KDE Gear 21.04</releaseinfo> 0040 0041 <!--Short description of this document. Do not change unless necessary!--> 0042 <abstract> 0043 <para>This documentation describes the game of &kblackbox; version 21.04</para> 0044 </abstract> 0045 0046 <!--List of relevan keywords--> 0047 <keywordset> 0048 <keyword>KDE</keyword> <!-- do not change this! --> 0049 <keyword>kdegames</keyword> <!-- do not change this! --> 0050 <keyword>game</keyword> <!-- do not change this! --> 0051 <keyword>Kblackbox</keyword> 0052 <keyword>puzzle</keyword> 0053 <keyword>board</keyword> 0054 <keyword>balls</keyword> 0055 <keyword>beams</keyword> 0056 <!--Number of possible players. It can be: One, Two,..., Multiplayer--> 0057 <keyword>one player</keyword> 0058 <!--All other relevant keywords--> 0059 <keyword>hidden balls</keyword> 0060 <keyword>find</keyword> 0061 <keyword>search</keyword> 0062 </keywordset> 0063 </bookinfo> 0064 <!--Content begins here: --> 0065 <chapter id="introduction"><title>Introduction</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0066 <note><title>Gametype:</title><para>Puzzle, Board</para></note><!-- Game genre. Use as many as necessary. Available game types are: Arcade, Board, Card, Dice, Toys, Logic, Strategy.--> 0067 <note><title>Number of possible players:</title><para>One</para></note><!--Number of possible players. It can be: One, Two,..., Multiplayer--> 0068 0069 <!--Short game description starts here. 3-4 sentences (paragraphs)--> 0070 <para>&kblackbox; is a nice logical game, inspired by the &Emacs; blackbox game. A major part of this help file is based on the original &Emacs; help.</para> 0071 0072 <para>&kblackbox; is a game of hide and seek played on a grid of boxes. The computer has hidden several balls within this box. By shooting beams into the box and observing where they emerge it is possible to deduce the positions of the hidden balls.</para> 0073 <para>The fewer beams you use and the quicker you are to find the balls, the better (the lower) your score.</para> 0074 </chapter> 0075 0076 <chapter id="howto"><title>How to Play</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0077 <!--IMPORTANT: If the game has no defined objective, please remove the below line.--> 0078 <note><title>Objective:</title><para>Use laser beams to deduce the placement of the balls inside the black box.</para></note><!--Describe the objective of the game.--> 0079 <!--How to play description. Don't be to specific on rules as they have a separate section in this document--> 0080 0081 <para>Use lasers and place balls and markers on the game board to deduce the position of the hidden balls inside the black box.</para> 0082 <para> 0083 The game starts as soon as you use the first laser. Before that, the time is not running and no point will be count for the score. 0084 </para> 0085 <para>The cursor can be moved around the box with the standard cursor movement keys or the mouse. Switching of lasers or marking of black boxes is done with the &LMB;, or by pressing the <keycap>Return</keycap> or &Enter; key.</para> 0086 0087 <para>You can also drag and drop the balls and the markers with the mouse.</para> 0088 0089 <para>You can mark the fields where you think a ball cannot be, too. Just press the &RMB;. It often helps you to find an area where a ball could possibly 0090 be. To clear any marks, press the same key or mouse button again.</para> 0091 0092 <para>When you think the configuration of balls you have placed is correct, press the <guibutton>Done!</guibutton> button. You 0093 will be informed whether you are correct or not, and be given your score. 0094 </para> 0095 <para> 0096 If you placed any balls incorrectly, the right solution will be displayed. 0097 </para> 0098 0099 <para> 0100 The score increases with the time (1 point per second) and with the use of lasers: 3 points if the laser beam hits a ball or exits at the entry point and 9 points if it exists at another entry point. If you make a mistake, the score is set at the end of the game to 999, which is the maximum score. 0101 </para> 0102 </chapter> 0103 0104 <chapter id="rules_and_tips"><title>Game Rules, Strategies and Tips</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0105 <!--This section has to do with game rules. Please give a detailed description of those using lists or paragraphs.--> 0106 <sect1 id="game-rules"><title>Game Rules</title> 0107 0108 <para>You have to find balls hidden in the black box. Your means are limited - you can just fire lasers which are around the box. There are three possible outcomes for each beam you send into the box: </para> 0109 0110 <anchor id="detour"/> 0111 <variablelist> 0112 0113 <varlistentry> 0114 <term>Detour</term> 0115 <listitem><para>The beam is deflected and emerges somewhere other than where you sent it in. On the playfield, detours are denoted by matching pairs of numbers - one where the beam went in, and the other where it 0116 came out.</para></listitem> 0117 </varlistentry> 0118 0119 <varlistentry> 0120 <term>Reflection</term> 0121 <listitem><para>The beam is reflected and emerges in the same place it 0122 was sent in. On the playfield, reflections are denoted by a special sign.</para></listitem> 0123 </varlistentry> 0124 0125 <varlistentry> 0126 <term>Hit</term> 0127 <listitem><para>The beam strikes a ball and is absorbed. It does not 0128 emerge from the box. On the playfield, hits are denoted by a special sign.</para></listitem> 0129 </varlistentry> 0130 </variablelist> 0131 0132 <para>The rules for how balls deflect beams are simple and are best shown by 0133 example.</para> 0134 0135 <para>As a beam approaches a ball it is deflected ninety degrees. Beams 0136 can be deflected multiple times. In the diagrams below, the dashes 0137 represent empty box locations and the letter <guilabel>O</guilabel> 0138 represents a ball. The entrance and exit points of each beam are marked 0139 with numbers as described under <link linkend="detour">Detour</link> 0140 above. Note that the entrance and exit points are always 0141 interchangeable. <guilabel>*</guilabel> denotes the path taken by the 0142 beam.</para> 0143 0144 <para>Note carefully the relative positions of the ball and the ninety 0145 degree deflection it causes.</para> 0146 0147 <screen> 0148 1 0149 - * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0150 - * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0151 1 * * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - - O - 0152 - - O - - - - - - - O - - - - - - - * * * * - - 0153 - - - - - - - - - - - * * * * * 2 3 * * * - - * - - 0154 - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - O - * - - 0155 - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - - * * - - 0156 - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - - * - O - 0157 2 3 0158 </screen> 0159 0160 <para> 0161 As mentioned above, a reflection occurs when a beam emerges from the same 0162 point it was sent in. This can happen in several ways: 0163 </para> 0164 0165 <screen> 0166 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0167 - - - - O - - - - - O - O - - - - - - - - - - - 0168 R * * * * - - - - - - - * - - - - O - - - - - - - 0169 - - - - O - - - - - - * - - - - R - - - - - - - - 0170 - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - - - - - - 0171 - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - - - - - - 0172 - - - - - - - - R * * * * - - - - - - - - - - - - 0173 - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - - - - - - - - - 0174 0175 </screen> 0176 0177 <para>In the first example, the beam is deflected downwards by the upper 0178 ball, then left by the lower ball, and finally retraces its path to its 0179 point of origin. The second example is similar. The third example is a 0180 bit anomalous but can be rationalized by realizing the beam never gets a 0181 chance to get into the box. Alternatively, the beam can be thought of as 0182 being deflected downwards and immediately emerging from the box.</para> 0183 0184 <para>A hit occurs when a beam runs straight into a ball:</para> 0185 0186 <screen> 0187 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0188 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - 0189 - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - H * * * * - - - - 0190 - - - - - - - - H * * * * O - - - - - - * - - - - 0191 - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - - - - O - - - - 0192 H * * * O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0193 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0194 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0195 0196 </screen> 0197 0198 <para>Be sure to compare the second example of a hit with the first 0199 example of a reflection.</para> 0200 0201 </sect1> 0202 </chapter> 0203 0204 <chapter id="interface"><title>Interface Overview</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0205 <!-- This section has to do with menubar. Describe every single entry in order. Use <variablelist> and <varlistentry>. Split the chapter into sections using <sect1(2,3)> for better viewing.--> 0206 <sect1 id="game-board-descritpion"> 0207 <title>Game Board Description</title> 0208 0209 <screenshot> 0210 <screeninfo>&kblackbox; Game Board</screeninfo> 0211 <mediaobject> 0212 <imageobject> 0213 <imagedata fileref="gameboard.png" format="PNG"/> 0214 </imageobject> 0215 <textobject> 0216 <phrase>&kblackbox; Game Board</phrase> 0217 </textobject> 0218 </mediaobject> 0219 </screenshot> 0220 0221 <para>The following types of field are found on the game board: </para> 0222 0223 <variablelist> 0224 <varlistentry> 0225 <term><interface>The big black box in the middle</interface></term> 0226 <listitem><para>Here you must mark the positions you think 0227 a ball is in.</para></listitem> 0228 </varlistentry> 0229 0230 <varlistentry> 0231 <term><interface>Lasers around the box</interface></term> 0232 <listitem><para>The lasers are shooting beams of light when 0233 switched on. Then, they disappear and are replaced by an information about the interactions of the laser beam with the balls in the black box.</para></listitem> 0234 </varlistentry> 0235 0236 <varlistentry> 0237 <term><interface>Balls</interface></term> 0238 <listitem><para><quote>There must be one there!</quote> you think. These mark 0239 where you suspect a ball is placed in the black box.</para> 0240 <para>At the end of the game, the right and wrong positions of the balls are also marked with <quote>balls</quote>.</para> 0241 </listitem> 0242 </varlistentry> 0243 0244 <varlistentry> 0245 <term><interface>Markers for "free position"</interface></term> 0246 <listitem><para>You can use them to mark some positions where you are sure there is no ball.</para></listitem> 0247 </varlistentry> 0248 </variablelist> 0249 0250 </sect1> 0251 0252 <sect1 id="menu"> 0253 <title>Menu Items</title> 0254 0255 <variablelist> 0256 <varlistentry> 0257 <term><menuchoice> 0258 <shortcut> 0259 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>N</keycap></keycombo> 0260 </shortcut> 0261 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0262 <guimenuitem>New</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0263 <listitem><para>Starts a new game (and abandons the current, if 0264 any.)</para></listitem> 0265 </varlistentry> 0266 0267 <varlistentry> 0268 <term><menuchoice> 0269 <shortcut><keycap>P</keycap></shortcut> 0270 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0271 <guimenuitem>Pause</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0272 <listitem><para>Pause or continue the current game.</para><para>Note that the interaction results are hidden in a paused game.</para></listitem> 0273 </varlistentry> 0274 0275 <varlistentry> 0276 <term><menuchoice> 0277 <shortcut> 0278 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>H</keycap></keycombo> 0279 </shortcut> 0280 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0281 <guimenuitem>Show High Scores</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0282 <listitem><para>Show the high score tables.</para></listitem> 0283 </varlistentry> 0284 0285 <varlistentry> 0286 <term><menuchoice> 0287 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0288 <guimenuitem>Start Tutorial</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0289 <listitem><para>Start the tutorial of the game. This is a user friendly way to learn the game rules.</para></listitem> 0290 </varlistentry> 0291 0292 <varlistentry> 0293 <term><menuchoice> 0294 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0295 <guimenuitem>New Sandbox Game</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0296 <listitem><para>In this mode, the solution is displayed at the start of the game. This is useful to understand the game principles.</para></listitem> 0297 </varlistentry> 0298 0299 <varlistentry> 0300 <term><menuchoice> 0301 <shortcut> 0302 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>Q</keycap></keycombo> 0303 </shortcut> 0304 <guimenu>Game</guimenu> 0305 <guimenuitem>Quit</guimenuitem> 0306 </menuchoice></term> 0307 <listitem> 0308 <para>This closes the window and quits &kblackbox;.</para> 0309 </listitem> 0310 </varlistentry> 0311 0312 <varlistentry> 0313 <term><menuchoice> 0314 <guimenu>Move</guimenu> 0315 <guimenuitem>Solve</guimenuitem> 0316 </menuchoice></term> 0317 <listitem> 0318 <para>Use it to give up a game. It shows you the solution: the right positions of the balls.</para> 0319 </listitem> 0320 </varlistentry> 0321 0322 <varlistentry> 0323 <term><menuchoice><guimenu>Move</guimenu> 0324 <guimenuitem>Done!</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term> 0325 <listitem><para>When you placed all the balls, choose <guilabel>Done!</guilabel> to terminate 0326 the current game, to compute the final score and to display the real positions of 0327 the balls.</para></listitem> 0328 </varlistentry> 0329 0330 <varlistentry> 0331 <term><menuchoice> 0332 <guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guisubmenu>Difficulty</guisubmenu> 0333 </menuchoice> 0334 </term> 0335 <listitem> 0336 <para>Select the game difficulty. Harder games have more balls and bigger black box than easier games. You can also play with a custom difficulty level that you can set up in the setting dialog of &kblackbox;.</para> 0337 <note> 0338 <para>Games with 4 balls or less can always be solved with certainty! That is not the case for games with 5 balls or more.</para> 0339 </note> 0340 </listitem> 0341 </varlistentry> 0342 0343 </variablelist> 0344 <para> 0345 Additionally &kblackbox; has the common &kde; <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> and <guimenu>Help</guimenu> 0346 menu items, for more information read the sections about the <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/menus.html#menus-settings" 0347 >Settings Menu</ulink> and <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/menus.html#menus-help">Help Menu</ulink> 0348 of the &kde; Fundamentals. 0349 </para> 0350 0351 </sect1> 0352 </chapter> 0353 0354 <chapter id="faq"><title>Frequently asked questions</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0355 <!--This chapter is for frequently asked questions. Please use <qandaset> <qandaentry> only!--> 0356 <qandaset> 0357 <!--Following is a standard list of FAQ questions.--> 0358 <qandaentry> 0359 <question><para>Can I use the keyboard to play this game? </para></question> 0360 <answer><para>Yes. You can use the directional keys to control the cursor, &Enter; to place and remove balls, and &Space; to place <quote>empty</quote> marks.</para></answer> 0361 </qandaentry> 0362 <qandaentry> 0363 <question><para>I have to quit the game now, but I am not finished yet. Can I save my progress?</para></question> 0364 <answer><para>&kblackbox; has no save feature at the moment.</para></answer> 0365 </qandaentry> 0366 0367 </qandaset> 0368 </chapter> 0369 0370 <chapter id="credits"><title>Credits and License</title> <!-- do not change this! --> 0371 <!--This chapter is for credits and licenses.--> 0372 0373 <para> 0374 &kblackbox; <!-- do not change this! --> 0375 </para> 0376 <!--List all the copyright holders here--> 0377 <para> 0378 Program copyright 1999-2000 &Robert.Cimrman; &Robert.Cimrman.mail; and 2007 &Nicolas.Roffet; &Nicolas.Roffet.mail; 0379 </para> 0380 <para> 0381 Documentation copyright by &Robert.Cimrman;. Updated and converted to Docbook 0382 for &kde; 2.0 by &Lauri.Watts; &Lauri.Watts.mail;. Reviewed by &Philip.Rodrigues; &Philip.Rodrigues.mail; 0383 </para> 0384 0385 <!-- TRANS:CREDIT_FOR_TRANSLATORS --> 0386 &underFDL; 0387 &underGPL; 0388 0389 </chapter> 0390 0391 &documentation.index; 0392 </book> 0393 <!-- 0394 Local Variables: 0395 mode: sgml 0396 sgml-minimize-attributes:nil 0397 sgml-general-insert-case:lower 0398 sgml-omittag:t 0399 sgml-shorttag:t 0400 sgml-namecase-general:t 0401 sgml-always-quote-attributes:t 0402 sgml-indent-step:0 0403 sgml-indent-data:nil 0404 sgml-parent-document:nil 0405 sgml-exposed-tags:nil 0406 sgml-local-catalogs:nil 0407 sgml-local-ecat-files:nil 0408 End: 0409 -->