FreeCraft Version 1.18


     ___________		     _________		      _____  __
     \_	  _____/______   ____   ____ \_   ___ \____________ _/ ____\/  |_
      |    __) \_  __ \_/ __ \_/ __ \/    \  \/\_  __ \__  \\   __\\   __|
      |     \   |  | \/\  ___/\  ___/\     \____|  | \// __ \|  |   |  |
      \___  /   |__|    \___  >\___  >\______  /|__|  (____  /__|   |__|
	  \/		    \/	   \/	     \/		   \/
    ______________________                           ______________________
			  T H E   W A R   B E G I N S
	   FreeCraft - A free fantasy real time strategy game engine

(C) Copyright 1998-2003 by The FreeCraft Project. Distributed under the "GNU General Public License"


Contents

Copyrights

Please refer to the GNU General Public License document provided with this distribution.
To proceed beyond this point, is to agree with the license agreement.

The self extracting archive contains ZIP code, read the ZIP-LICENSE.

The binaries could contain SDL code, read the README-SDL.txt and the GNU LGPL license.

The source and binaries contains SIOD code, read and siod.html for copyright and informations.

DISCLAIMER

This software is provided as-is. The author(s) can not be held liable for any damage that might arise from the use of this software.

Use it at your own risk.

Introduction

Read this for the introduction: readme.html

Install

Read this how to install FreeCraft: install.html

Upgrade

If you upgrade from an older beta version to a new one, please always run build.sh. Some graphics or formats may have been changed. Don't forget to backup your modified files.

Read this how to upgrade FreeCraft: install.html

Changes

Read this for the history of FreeCraft: ChangeLog.html

To-do and known bugs

This file contains the known bugs and what we plan in the future: todo.html

A more up to date list of known bugs are here: SourceForge: FreeCraft real-time strategy game engine - Tracker - Bugs

A more up to date list of planned tasks are here: SourceForge: FreeCraft real-time strategy game engine - Tasks

Problems

Read this, if you have problems compiling, installing or playing FreeCraft faq.html or use the help forum for questions.

Features

Open projects

Following projects are not assigned: (Please ask before start working) If you want to help, please join the FreeCraft mailing list and check if somebody is already working on your project. Then tell us what you want to work on.

Documentation

Look into the original game documentation for playing instructions. Look into the sources for more information.

Command line options

freecraft [OPTIONS] [map.pud|map.pud.gz]

Keyboard commands

Mouse commands

Clicking on minimap

Clicking on map

Clicking on buttons

CCL: FreeCraft Configuration Language

The CCL is scheme. I use SIOD for this. (The most recent release is available from this web page) .

You can also enter CCL commands at the message prompt. Each line starting with "(" is taken as CCL command.

Documentation

I have started new documentation here.

Please help me writing it.

Internal Formats

Tileset

The tileset graphic is loaded from 'png'-files. Only files with 256 indexed colors are currently supported.

The format of the tileset graphic is:

32x32 pixels of a tile.

16 tiles are stored per row.

The pixels (7,6),(7,14),(7,22),(7,30), (15,6),(15,14),(15,22),(15,30), (23,6),(23,14),(23,22),(23,30) and (31,6),(31,14),(31,22),(31,30) are used for the minimap picture. For a 32x32 map all 16 Pixels are used. For a 128x128 map only the first one.

The colors of the palette reserved for the tileset:
HELPME: I don't know!

The conversion table from pud file to the internal format could be changed with ccl. More tileset informations

User Interface

More user interface informations

Sprites

The graphics are loaded from 'png'-files. Only files with 256 indexed colors are currently supported.

The format of an unit sprite is:

FIXME: more to come

Palette

Look into tileset documentation, what I have found.

Sounds

The sounds are loaded from 'wav'-files. Files with 8 or 16 bit, mono and 11025hz sample frequency are currently supported.

Utilities

extract

Extract a compressed entry out of the original game data file.

Read the knowledge bases which entry contains what.

Usage: extract data-file entry output

gfx2png

Convert compressed graphic (unit sprites) to png graphic file.
Usage: gfx2png palette file.gfx

gfu2png

FIXME: must write docu.

img2png

FIXME: must write docu.

cur2png

FIXME: must write docu.

fnt2png

FIXME: must write docu.

tile2png

FIXME: must write docu.

aledoc

FIXME: must write docu.

Arts

Following things are used from other peoples. If not other mentioned, protected by the following license "GNU General Public License"
cross.png, health.png, mana.png.
(c) Copyright 1998-2003 by Johns.
food.png
Food resource icon (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
score.png
Score icon in resource (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
ore,stone,coal.png
Orc, Stone and coal icon in resource (c) Copyright 2000 by the Guardian.
freecraft.bmp, freecraft.ico
The FreeCraft icon (c) Copyright 2000 by Kyle.

Thanks

Thanks to following people for helping me develop FreeCraft:

And to all I have forgot to write up!
Please drop me an email, if I forgot you.

Contents


All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners.
The FreeCraft Project