SmartSokoban - ENGLISH README by Joiro Hatagaya | 09.04.2002
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Alright, you have just downloaded or obtained in some other way the Best Sokoban Ever Created. Congraturation, a winner is you! As BSEC makes a lousy acronym well just call it SmartSokoban instead.

Obviously you are reading this to get some information about the game, so we decided to get THE MAN himself to answer some questions, as well as get humiliated (if possible) in front of thousands of readers.

JH: So, hello there, VVitaliy.
VV is busy giving out autographs to sexy fan girls.
JH: HEY! The interview, remember?
VV: Damn! That bloody interview. Sorry girls, maybe later.

JH: Tell us a bit about how you decided to make yet another clone of this already over-cloned game?
VV: Well, as Im pretty lazy (like all developers) moving the boxes using the keyboard seemed like too much work. But the game is great, I wanted to play it, so there was only one thing left to do...
JH: <excited> SUICIDE? 
VV: No! I thought that the computer should do it for me.
JH: <disappointed> Ah...
VV: It seemed like no-one else had bothered making such a system so I decided to make one myself. It took me 7 hours of evening programming and then about 3768 more to do everything that <BEEP> <BEEP> <BEEP> Joiro asked for, but I did it!
The sexy fan girls cheer loudly.

JH: Ok, so how does it work?
VV: <enthusiastic> A great question. Making a proper path-finding engine wasnt easy. Theres this algorithm that detects any unused paths nearby and goes on to sort of try them out ahead of time and if it finds a better...

JH: FOR THE MERCY OF GOD! STOP! I meant how does the game work?
VV: Oh, the game? Well, the main idea from the standard Sokoban remains:

Theres a maze.
In the maze there are three things: Your character, boxes and target points.
Your task: Place all the boxes on the target points. When you do that you move on to the next level. PLUS you get that warm and fuzzy feeling that you just accomplished something.

Usually you had to control your character using the keyboard. Over time and especially in bigger mazes that turned out being a real pain in the ass. Now in SS you simply click the box you want to move and the target square. The program checks if its possible to get the box there and if it is... Guess what? It will be done.

JH: Awesome. Im still amazed looking at that every time I play. Anyhow, with such support from your CPU-Powered little friend the level progression should be quite rapid. What happens when all the levels are done?
VV: Well, Id say that while the route-finding will make your life easier, the main point still is using your brain. Believe me  youll have quite a bit of thinking in the later levels. Speaking of levels:

SS comes with quite a bunch of them initially (make sure you check out level packs) and those will take a while to finish. And after that you can make your own.

JH: Cool  how do you do that?
VV: Do you really have to interrupt me all the time just when Im getting to the point?
JH: Hey, YOU did the script for this thing. Its not like I have no idea about the game. Im just forced to ask these stupid questions.
VV: Well, what else can you do? You are here only for your good looks anyway...
JH: WHAT?

VV: Anyhow, back to the point:

To make your own levels you have to make a file with an extension of *.htm and put it in the Game pack folder. Inside the file you may use the following characters to make a level:

Space		-	Floor
. (Period)	-	Target square
$		-	Box
*		-	Box on target square
@		-	Sokoman
+		-	Sokoman on target square
#		-	Wall

If a line begins with a space or # then its considered a part of the level. Any other characters are considered ending the level. The first line with a space or a # after that is considered the beginning of the next level.

Heres what the first level looks like:

; < 1> Just a note to show that this is level 1.

    #####
    #   #
    #$  #
  ###  $##
  #  $ $ #
### # ## #   ######
#   # ## #####  ..#
# $  $          ..#
##### ### #@##  ..#
    #     #########
    #######

; < 2> The second level begins here.

Easy, huh? If you make something awesome feel free to send the results to us.

JH: Ok, you can change the levels, what else can be modified?
VV: Well, thanks to Joiros constant poking SS has support for skins and backgrounds. You can select both from the File menu. If you want to add your own skins or backgrounds just put them in the respective directories and the next time you start SS theyll be available.

JH: Anything else?
VV: For true players the table of personal records may come in handy. You can access it from the Help menu.

JH: Alright. Thank you for the interview.
VV: You are welcome. I was glad to be here. Goodnight, everyone.

Joiro goes behind his chair and takes a chainsaw.

JH: So, what was that about me only being here because of my good looks?
VV: Err... well... its not what you... AAAAAAARGHHHHH! HELP! AAAAAAARGHHHHH! THIS <BEEP> MADMAN IS... AAAAAAARGHHHHH! AAAAAAARGHHHHH! AAAAAAARGHHHHH!

THE END.

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Make sure you visit our website http://smartsokoban.boom.ru to get new versions and goodies and don't forget that we'd love to get feedback from you so e-mail us: smartsokoban@mail.ru

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Smartsokoban  2001-2002 Vvitaliy

Idea and all programming by VVitaliy a.k.a. Smarty
All skins and some other good shit made by Joiro Hatagaya  2001-2002

