= Operation Lambda README (Version 1.0 alpha 3) 2009-06-21
== What is Operation Lambda?
Operation Lambda is a remake of the original Operation Lambda, a fantastic
action/puzzle game for the Apple IIgs by Bret Victor. To quote the author,
"My biggest IIgs production. A logic/action game, where you work your
way through a space station under distress, deflecting laser beams and
saving hostages. 100 levels of fun and excitement."
The original Operation Lambda, released in 1996, was written entirely in 65816
assembly and never available for anything other than the IIgs. This version is
a remake written entirely in Ruby, and should run on more or less any modern
computer (though not, alas, on a IIgs).
=== Relevant Links
1. Operation Lambda: http://bitbucket.org/philomory/operationlambda/
2. Original Operation Lambda: http://worrydream.com/iigs/#operationlambda
3. Bret Victor: http://worrydream.com/
4. Ruby: http://ruby-lang.org/
5. Gosu: http://libgosu.org/
6. TexPlay: http://code.google.com/p/texplay/
7. SDL: http://libsdl.org/
== Requirements
If you are using a pre-packaged copy of Operation Lambda for Windows or OS X,
you should not need any extra software. You can skip to the next section.
If you have downloaded the Operation Lambda source, you will need
to have these programs to be able to play the game:
* ruby >= 1.8.6, including 1.9.x
* gosu >= 0.7.11*
* texplay >= 0.1.0
Older versions might work, but they have not been tested.
Please note, on Windows and Linux there seem to be problems using TexPlay with
versions of Gosu newer than 0.7.11. This is expected to be fixed soon. On
OS X, versions up to and including 0.7.13.3, work fine. This should be fixed
in Gosu 0.7.13.4.
If you have Mac OS X or Linux, you probably already have ruby installed.
Windows users can get it from http://www.ruby-lang.org/ .
The simplest way to install Gosu is with RubyGems, with which you would just
run `gem install gosu`. Alternatively, download it at http://www.lib-gosu.org
== Install
If you have a pre-packed copy of Operation Lambda, just double-click the
included Operation Lambda.app (if on OS X) or Operation Lambda.exe (if on
Windows.)
If you are running the game from source, just run 'ruby OperationLambda.rb` in
the directory containing the source. If you installed Gosu via RubyGems, and
you have a ruby version earlier than 1.9, you'll likely need to run `ruby
-rubygems OperationLambda.rb` instead.
== How to Play
=== Menu Controls
Navigation: Arrow keys or Tab and Shift-Tab
Selection: Space-bar/Enter/Return
Back/Quit: Escape
=== Gameplay Controls
Gameplay controls can be configured in the 'Settings' menu. The default
controls are:
Move player: Arrow keys
Fire pistol: Z
Turn mirror: X
Pause menu : Escape
=== Objective
Travel through each level, rescue the hostages, and get to the exist without
being shot or blown up. Don't let the hostages get killed either!
Details on what objects do what (with pictures) are available through the in-
game help, accessed from the 'Info' menu.
=== Time and Score
There is a timer in Operation Lambda; the amount of time available to you
varies between levels; you also have less time available in harder difficulty
levels. The more time you have left when you finish the level, the greater the
bonus added to you score. In Relaxed mode, that is all that the timer does. In
Easy mode and higher, if you run out of time, you lose a life.
Higher difficulty levels give you a score multiplier compared to lower
difficulty levels.
== The Level Builder
The Level Builder is fully functional, but not particularly polished at this
time. If you want to tinker with it, though, feel free. Note that among other
problems, you cannot set the keys used for previous/next 'tool'. They are
hard-coded to '[' and ']', respectively. All other keys can be changed from
the Settings menu.
Note that you cannot edit the built-in levelset. You can, however, create a
copy of it using the 'Clone Levelset' item in the Level Builder menu, then
edit the copy.
== History
1.0 alpha 3 - 2009-06-21
* Fixed laser-overlap-in-switch bug. Issue #3
* Fixed disappearing mirror bug. Issue #4
1.0 alpha 2 - 2009-06-09
* Fixed (I hope) occasional crash bug when player dies. Issue #1
* Fixed graphical glitch when selecting levelset. Issue #2
1.0 alpha - 2009-06-08
* Initial public release
* Happy birthday!
== License
This package is released under the terms of the Artistic License 2.0. See the
included file LICENSE for the full text of the license.
== Copyright
Operation Lambda and all of the levels, graphics and sounds taken from it are
(c) Copyright 1996 Bret Victor, and are used with permission. All other code
and content is (c) Copyright 2009 Adam Gardner. See the COPYRIGHT file for
full details.