                              CHARLIE THE DUCK

                            Version 1.9 (English)
                   (C) Copyright 1996-2000, by Mike Wiering

                         E-mail: mike.wiering@wxs.nl
                  Homepage: http://home.wxs.nl/~mike.wiering/


DISCLAIMER

     The author of this program cannot be held responsible for any damage, of
     any kind, caused by this program (or related files). Run this game at
     your own risk!


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

     To play Charlie, you'll need a PC with:

        -  286 processor or higher (486 or Pentium recommended)
        -  VGA graphics card
        -  at least 475K free memory

     Also supported:

        -  AdLib compatible sound card
        -  joystick


INSTALLATION

     The game is distributed as a self-extracting program named CHARLIE!.EXE.
     This program unpacks all files needed to play the game. You can specify
     a directory where the game will be installed, for example:

        CHARLIE! C:\CHARLIE

     If you don't specify a directory, the default is used: a subdirectory
     named CHARLIE in the current directory.

     Now there is also a special HELPME program (new in version 1.9), which
     may help you solve some problems (such as creating an icon on your
     Windows desktop). Just run HELPME.EXE (or HELPMIJ.EXE for the Dutch
     version).


STARTING THE GAME

     To start CHARLIE THE DUCK, go to the directory where you installed the
     game and type:

        CHARLIE

     The following command line options are available:

        CHARLIE -A    Use AdLib only, not SoundBlaster (Pro) if detected.
        CHARLIE -S    Skip soundcard detection, use PC speaker.
        CHARLIE -D    Delay after writing to the AdLib (for old soundcards).
        CHARLIE -I    Use other instruments for the sounds.
        CHARLIE -O    Use the old sound routines (try this if the sound isn't
                      loud enough).
        CHARLIE -E    Start the game in English.
        CHARLIE -N    Start the game in Dutch.
        CHARLIE -P    Create CHARLIE.PIF file for Windows.
        CHARLIE -R    Register CHARLIE THE DUCK.
        CHARLIE -W    Create a new CHARLIE.CFG file with saved games for
                      world 1, 2 and 3 (registered version only).
        CHARLIE -H    Run a demo of level 1-4 (big fish).

     Because more and more people have trouble using command line options,
     this version includes a HELPME program, which makes most options
     described above available from a menu.


CONTROLS

     All menus are controlled with the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys on the
     keyboard and <Space> or <Enter> to select an option. You can always use
     the <Esc> key to go back or to quit the game.

     If you have a joystick, from the main menu, select OPTIONS, then
     CONTROLS to configure it.

     Default controls during the game:

        <Left>, <Right>   -  Walk
        <Down>            -  Dive (in some places)
        <Alt>             -  Jump
        <Ctrl>            -  Accelerate

     To use other keys, select OPTIONS from the main menu and then choose
     CONTROLS and REDEFINE KEYS.

     Other keys during the game:

        <F1>              -  Help
        <F2>              -  Save game
        <F3>              -  Load game
        <F4>              -  Sound on/off
        <P>               -  Pause
        <Esc>             -  Quit game


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

     Here are some of the questions that were asked frequently over the past
     few years:

     ----

     Q:  How can I beat the big fish at the end of the first world?

     A:  You have to land on top of its head (right above its eyes) five
         times. Run CHARLIE -H for a demo (new in version 1.9) or run the
         HELPME program.

     ----

     Q:  Have you made anymore games?

     A:  Yes, they can be found on the Internet (see the URLs below).

     ----

     Q:  Have you made any new games yet? When will the next one be ready?

     A:  I don't know. I'm usually working on several games at the same
         time and I don't release a game before its completely finished. I
         also don't set deadlines for my games.

         By the way, if you all would stop mailing and phoning me about this,
         I might have some more time for programming!

     ----

     Q:  I've registered the game, but everything is still exactly the same
         as in the unregistered version! What's going on?

     A:  So far, everyone who has asked this had both versions on disk and
         was still running the unregistered version. If you install the game
         again in a different location, you should update any shortcuts in
         Windows that point to the game.

         The registered version does begin with the first world, just like
         the demo version, but it also contains a second and a third world.

         If you use the HELPME program to register and to start the game as
         well, everything should work properly.

     ----

     Q:  How do you make this kind of games?

     A:  I programmed CHARLIE THE DUCK with Borland Turbo Pascal 7.0 (with
         lots of inline assembly), all drawings were made with my own sprite
         editor GRED. There is some programming information on my homepage,
         as well as the sprite editor.

     ----

     Q:  I just can't get through level X, I'm frustrated. Can you give a
         step-by-step description and also tell where all the hidden items
         are?

     A:  No, I don't think it would be much fun anymore if you knew all the
         secrets. Just keep practicing, all of the levels are playable!

     ----

     Q:  How can I make an icon for this game on my Windows desktop?

     A:  Run the HELPME program.

     ----

     Q:  The game is really slow. Is there a way to make it any faster?

     A:  The settings for the background layer can make a great difference on
         some (older) computers. From the main menu choose OPTIONS and then
         BACKGROUND. The default is PARALLAX, which can be slow. Change it to
         STATIC or NONE.

     ----

     Q:  If I have saved my progress in Level 3-3 for example, is it still
         possible to start at the beginning of that world?

     A:  Yes (new in version 1.8), press <Shift>-<Enter> instead of <Enter>
         when selecting a game and you will start at the beginning of that
         world.


DISTRIBUTION

     The demo version of CHARLIE THE DUCK may be copied freely on the
     following conditions:

        -  You may not make modifications to any of the files included in the
           game and you may not add new files or remove files.

        -  You may not charge money for this game, apart from a reasonable
           distribution fee. In that case it must be clear for the buyer that
           this is a demo version of the game.

        -  If you want to distribute this game via the Internet, you must
           either use the original self-extracting program CHARLIE!.EXE or
           a ZIP file with *exactly* the same contents (if you really want to
           create some kind of installer or so for the game, contact me about
           it first). Also provide a link to my site so people can find the
           most recent version.

        -  If you want to place this game on a CDROM, you are allowed to use
           your own installation program or extractor to install the game,
           provided that it installs exactly the same files as the original
           CHARLIE!.EXE does. I would also appreciate it if you inform me
           about new CDROM titles containing this game!

     After registering the game, you may no longer make copies for others.
     Only distribute the demo version.


CONTACTING THE AUTHOR

     One of the main reasons for this new release is to limit the number of
     questions about the game, especially the number of telephone calls!
     Even though I didn't include my phone number in previous versions, I've
     had so many calls from desperate people asking how to beat the big fish
     in level 4, that it isn't fun anymore. Some people take a lot of trouble
     to reach me and don't hesitate to call everyone listed in the telephone
     book with the name "Wiering" in my city.

     What I'm trying to say is: please don't try to call me by telephone.
     If you want to contact me, send an e-mail! My address is:

        mike.wiering@wxs.nl

     If you don't have e-mail, well... you must know someone who does, don't
     you?

     I like to hear what you think about my games. So if you have any
     remarks, suggestions or if you find bugs, please let me know. I want
     this game to be as "bug-free" as possible.

     You should be able to find the newest information about my games at the
     following Internet sites:

        http://home.wxs.nl/~mike.wiering/
        http://mike.wiering.com/
        http://mikesgames.tsx.org/

     If none of these work, just look for "Mike Wiering" in a search
     engine like AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com/) and you should be
     able to find my pages.
