Road Blocks 3, by Mike Gagnon 1999

               Press ESC at any time to go back to the welcome menu

Table of contents:
Description of game
Description of different objects
game over
Controls
Passwords
Quiting
Changing the speed of the ball

Description of game:
     Road Blocks 3 is the third part of a series of puzzle games.  Road Blocks
3 is a maze type game with many levels.  Each level is a maze where you must
control a ball to find the goal. But the maze is not like normal mazes you may
have seen in other games.  When you move the ball (by pressing one of the
arrow keys) it will keep moving in the same direction until it hits an
obstruction, the goal, or a portal.

An example of the ball moving then hitting an obstruction:

ball at rest                                  ball hits obstruction and stops
o-----------------------------------------------------------> o[]
              ball moving in the same direction

Description of different objects:
In this game, there are many different objects on the screen which you will
need to know in order to play the game.

- The Ball -    You control the ball in the game. It is made of metal and is,
                obviously gray.  You move the ball by pressing the arrow keys.
                Once you press an arrow key, the ball will move in that
                direction until it hits the goal, an obstruction (block), or
                a portal.  If the ball moves off the screen, then you loose a
                life.

- Blocks -      The graphic for the block changes every other level.  A block
                is just an obstruction that will stop the ball, if the ball
                is in motion.

- Goals -       Goals are red, and is in the shape of a C.  The ball will fit
                snugly in the goal if it hits it at the right angle.  Goals
                can point up, down, left, or right.  In order to beat the
                level, you must move the the ball so that it gets in the goal.
                If your ball hits the goal at an angle so that it doesn't fit
                snugly, the ball will stop, and the goal will act as a block.
                
- Portals -     Portals are blue squares with the middle cut out, for your
                ball to fit in perfectly.  If your ball moves in to a portal
                it will warp to the other portal on the level, then move out
                the same direction it was going when it went in the portal.

- Funnels -     Funnels are yellow arrows, that can point in any direction.
                If your ball is moving in the direction that the arrow is
                pointing, when it hits the arrow it will move right through it
                like it is not even there.  If your ball hits a funnel that
                is pointing in a direction, other then the direction the ball
                is moving in, then your ball will stop and the funnel will act
                as a block.

game over:
You start the game with 5 lives.  If your ball goes off the screen you lose a
life.  Once you lose your last life you get a game over and must start the
game over again, by starting at the first level or by entering a password
which will start you off at an other level.

Controls:
     Press the up arrow key to move your ball up
     Press the down arrow key to move your ball down
     Press the left arrow key to move your ball to the left
     Press the right arrow key to move your ball to the right
     At any time press esc to end the game.

Passwords:
After you beat a level and when you get a game over, the computer will tell
you the password for that level.  At the welcome screen, you can press p
to get to password entry screen.  Type in a password, and if it is correct
you will start off on the level the password is for.

Quiting:
While you are playing you can press esc to go back to the welcome menu.  This
will quit your current game, so remember the password if you want to go back
to where you left off.  If you are at the welcome menu, you can press the
escape key or q to exit Road Blocks 3.

Changing the speed of the ball:
You can change the speed of the ball, so that on levels the ball moves faster
or slower.  It does not affect the game play, but affects how fast the ball
moves across the screen.  To change the speed, you need to be on the welcome
menu.  A number at the bottom tells you the speed.  The larger the number,
the slower the ball is.  To increase the speed press the left arrow key,
to decrease the speed press the right arrow key.


Thanks for playing Road Blocks 3!

               Press ESC at any time to go back to the welcome menu

