 Brickbat Help Index

brickbat  n. 1. a piece of brick or similar material, esp. one used as a weapon.

How To Play

Overview

Playing the Game

Strategy and Hints

History of the Game

Commands

Game menu

Help menu


File menu commands
Game menu commands

The Game menu offers the following commands:

New	Start a new game.
Puzzle	Select puzzle.
Top	Display top one hundred score board.
Background	Toggle background off or on.
Exit	Exits Brickbat.

See Also

Playing the Game

Help menu


Help menu commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this application:

Index	Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help.
Using Help	Provides general instructions on using help.
About	Displays the version number of this application.

See Also

Playing the Game

Game menu


Overview of Brickbat
 Overview

The idea of the game is to arrange the puzzle as it was before being mixed up.  You control the Brickbat (the green flying creature), which you use to pick up and drop the blocks.

There is also the Bad Brickbat (the red flying creature), which also picks up the blocks.  The only way of killing it, is by dropping a block on top of it.  You lose if a block is dropped on top of you!

The overall objective is to complete the puzzle as quickly as possible.  Various puzzles can be selected which vary in difficulty.

See Also

Playing the Game

Strategy and Hints

History of the Game

Game menu

Help menu


Playing the Game

To start a new game

From the Game menu, choose New, or press F2.

When you choose the New command, Brickbat resets your time to zero.

To move the Brickbat

Press the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys to move up, down, left or right.

To pick up and drop a block

Press the SPACEBAR to pick up and drop a block.  The message LIFTING is displayed at the bottom of the screen when you have picked up a block.  Pick up a block, move above the new location and then press the SPACEBAR again to drop the block.

To complete the game

The game is completed when you have arranged the blocks correctly, displaying the picture as it should be.  A message will appear telling you how long it took you to complete the game.  You may also have managed to get on to the top one hundred score board.

To change a puzzle

From the Game menu, choose Puzzle.  A dialog screen will be displayed showing a choice of six puzzles with the current one selected.  Select the puzzle you want to attempt by clicking on the puzzle name.

See Also

Overview

Strategy and Hints

History of the Game

Game menu

Help menu


Strategy and Hints

Keep to the top of the screen when the Bad Brickbat (red flying creature) is carrying a block, as it will try and drop the block on you.

You need to memorise the position of at least one block before the puzzle is mixed up.  You will then at least have a starting position with one block in the correct position.

See Also

Overview

Playing the Game

History of the Game

Game menu

Help menu


History of the Game

The game was originally called "Game of Blocks".  The first version was completed in January 1991 by Keith Avery using PowerBASIC.

The game only required a 286 with a CGA monitor. In October 1991 a few improvements were made to the game.  The main one being EGA support.

"Game of Blocks" has now been renamed "Brickbat" and redeveloped using Microsoft Visual C++ 1.5 for the Windows operating system.  The original DOS version doesn't even work now, as it can't cope with the 486.

See Also

Overview

Playing the Game

Strategy and Hints

Game menu

Help menu


Top One Hundred Scores

This dialog shows the top one hundred scores.  The list shows the position, time, date, name and any comment that may have been made.


Top One Hundred Scores
Puzzle

This dialog allows you to select the puzzle.

Each puzzle has its own top one hundred score board.


Add Name to Score Board

Add your name and a comment if you wish.  Then select the OK button.  The score board will then be updated.


Message

It's a bit obvious isn't it.  Read it!


File New command
New command (Game menu)

Starts a new game. You can also press F2 to start a new game.

Shortcuts

Keys:	F2

See Also

Playing the Game

Game menu


Top command
Top command (Game menu)

Display the top one hundred score board.  The score board is supported when Brickbat is run from a network.

See Also

Playing the Game

Game menu


Puzzle command
Puzzle command (Game menu)

Select the puzzle.  You have a choice of six.

See Also

Playing the Game

Game menu


Background command
Background command (Game menu)

Display or not display the scenic background.

If the game is running too slowly on you computer, make sure the background is not displayed.

See Also

Playing the Game

Game menu


Exit command
Exit command (Game menu)

Quits Brickbat. You can quit at any time, even in the middle of a game.

Shortcuts

Keys:	ALT+F4

See Also

Playing the Game

History of the Game


Index command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the opening screen of Help.  From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using Brickbat and various types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the opening screen.


Using Help command (Help menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.


About command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of Brickbat.


Size command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the arrow keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1.	Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to the border you want to move.

2.	Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.

3.	Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.


Move command (Control menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog box with the arrow keys.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F7


System Minimize Command
Minimize command (application Control menu)

Use this command to reduce the Brickbat window to an icon.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the minimize icon [image] on the title bar.

Keys:	ALT+F9


Maximize command (System menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the maximize icon [image] on the title bar; or double-click the title bar.

Keys:	CTRL+F10 enlarges the game window.


Next Window command (game Control menu)

Use this command to switch to the next open game window.  Brickbat determines which window is next according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F6


Previous Window command (game Control menu)

Use this command to switch to the previous open game window.  Brickbat determines which window is previous according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	SHIFT+CTRL+F6


Close command (Control menus)

Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.

Note:  If you have multiple windows open for a single game, the Close command on the game Control menu closes only one window at a time.  You can close all windows at once with the Close command on the Game menu.

Shortcuts

Keys: 	CTRL+F4 closes a game window

ALT+F4 closes the window or dialog box


Restore command (Control menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the Maximize or Minimize command.


Switch to command (application Control menu)

Use this command to display a list of all open applications.  Use this "Task List" to switch to or close an application on the list.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+ESC

Dialog Box Options

When you choose the Switch To command, you will be presented with a dialog box with the following options:

Task List

Select the application you want to switch to or close.

Switch To

Makes the selected application active.

End Task

Closes the selected application.

Cancel

Closes the Task List box.

Cascade

Arranges open applications so they overlap and you can see each title bar.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Tile

Arranges open applications into windows that do not overlap.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Arrange Icons

Arranges the icons of all minimized applications across the bottom of the screen.