# Vilmonic ##Game Play Information And Help ####Controls * <b>move</b>: Swipe in the direction you want to move or use the **arrow keys** or **WASD** keys if you have a keyboard. * <b>run</b>: Two-finger swipe in the direction you want to move or quickly **double press** a direction key. (Or build roads!) * <b>use</b>: Tap on your avatar or press the **space bar** to use your currently selected ("equipped") tool at your current location. * <b>move & use</b>: **Tap** an object or the ground to have your avatar move to that location and use your equipped tool. Some tools require you to highlight the object first by tapping on it. * <b>grab</b>: Hold down **left shift** to temporarily select the **Grab** (hand) tool in your inventory. * <b>jog</b>: Hold down **right shift** to temporarily select the **Move** (jogger) tool in your inventory. * <b>equip</b>: Press the keys **0-9** to select the items in your tool belt. * <b>pause</b>: Tap the **Pause** button in the toolbar or press the **P** key on your keyboard to pause the game. * <b>split a pile</b>: **Double tap and drag** to split piles in half (that means: "tap and release and then quickly drag" a pile to an empty slot) or hold down the **shift key and drag**. Hold down the **meta key** (the command key on Mac, the control key on Linux/Windows) and drag to **grab just one item** from the pile. ####Saving games <DIV class="browser"> Games are automatically saved in the browser's local storage, so saved games will not be accessible on other browsers, and anyone using the browser will have access to all saves. To move a save game to another browser, **long press** on the options icon (the globe) and select **Export/Import** from the popup menu. Then copy or paste the save data. </DIV end="browser"> <DIV class="desktop"> Games are automatically saved every few minutes and when you exit a game. You can export a save game as text (or import one) by **long pressing** or **right clicking** on the options icon (the globe) and selecting **Export/Import** from the popup menu. Then copy or paste the save data. </DIV end="desktop"> #### The Life Forms of Vilmonic The goal of Vilmonic is to take care of the *animatroids* and *fungols* you've been provided with. Try to keep your starting species from going extinct. You may have to harvest fungols and plant them near your animatroids so they don't starve, but make sure the animatroids don't eat all of the fungols. You may also have to dig rivers or pools so your animatroids have somewhere nearby to drink. *Beverages* can also be fed to animatroids to help keep them alive. Select the beverage in your inventory and then tap on an animatroid to feed it. Pausing the game first may help with some of the faster creatures. *Food* can be fed to animatroids by placing it on the ground. Open the *Notepad* (tap on the clipboard icon in the toolbar) to see a list of the current species and species history. Animatroids don't always like to reproduce in crowded areas. You may have to push some of them to empty locations (select the Grab tool and walk into them) to get them to give birth. #### Morphology The shape, or morphology, of each animatroid or fungol is determined by its genes. Genes control the bending of internal *bones* or *branches*. Pixels cover the bones to create the shape of the body. The shape of the body and the number of different pixels determine the *physiology* of the life form. Use the *binoculars* on a creature to *analyze* it. Tap on the preview image in the *Analyzer* to view the bones. #### Physiology Each creature has a metabolism that processes *hydration* and *nutrients* at a rate determined by the *metabo* gene. This rate can be as fast as many times a second, or as slow as once every few seconds. The larger the life form (the more *pixels* in its body), the more hydration and nutrients it will need each metabolic cycle. *Surface area* determines how much hydration each life form evaporates. The more wrinkled the body is, the more surface area there is. Creatures with smooth, round bodies will evaporate very little water, and will survive better in drier areas. Those with convoluted, wrinkled bodies will need wetter environments. #### Behavior & Brains A simple set of rules, derived from genes, controls the behavior of each animatroid. These rules are processed once per metabolic cycle. You can study the rules in the Analyzer. Animatroids have external sensors (*motion/<wbr>scent/<wbr>water*) and internal sensors (*hunger/<wbr>stress/<wbr>thirst*). Animatroids' brains have attraction/<wbr>repulsion relationships between these sensors. It is these relationships that determine each animatroid's behavior. Motion sensors will detect animatroids and zombs even when they are standing in one place. They also detect your avatar but only while you are moving around. Scent sensors only detect fungols and food items on the ground, like fungiburgers. Water sensors detect varying amounts of hydration in the terrain. The terms "herbivore", "omnivore" and "carnivore" are somewhat loose in Vilmonic, and are based on an animatroid's preference for motion or scent. Herbivores, for example, are those animatroids with mostly negative (i.e. repulsion) relationships for motion, and positive (attraction) relationships for scent. That means that when they are hungry, they will tend to move away from other animatroids and tend to move toward fungols. All animatroids will eat any food source they walk over (if they're hungry), although they will not necessarily seek it out. #### Evolution in Vilmonic Your animatroids and fungols will evolve over many generations into new species. The genetic code of each life form is passed down to its offspring *during reproduction*, with a chance of mutation. That means that mutations will only affect children, not the parent. Even if the parent has a high radiation level. If you want to guide evolution, you will have to make use of natural or artificial selection. To guide evolution through *natural selection*, you must change the environment that your animatroids or fungols live in. Life forms that are better suited for their environment will have a better chance to survive long enough to reproduce. Those that are not equipped for their environment will tend to die off. So, for example, to evolve a species of desert animatroids, try moving them to an area that has very little water. Be careful though, if you make too extreme a change for your animatroids, they may just die off. To guide evolution through *artificial selection* (or breeding), try isolating an individual that has traits you want and protect it and help it reproduce. Repeat this with any offspring, always selecting those that have the traits you want, and pushing the others that you don't want out of the way to another location. Evolution is a slow process. To speed things up, try drinking a lot of cola. Toxic waste can also be useful (and dangerous!) It can cause drastic mutations in offspring. #### The Zombitons The zombitons are ancient inhabitants of Vilmonic, similar to you, only they have gone completely haywire. None of their original programming remains intact. They are just zombie processes intent on passing on their corrupted instructions to everyone else. Zombitons are attracted to your movement and will follow you around and attack you. Try to avoid them. If they are bothering you, move into the water. Zombs hate water (as well as certain other terrain) and will try to avoid it. Fighting the zombitons will only make them more angry. When they are angry, they slowly take out their aggression by building cities and dungeons. And by swarming you. Be careful! <!-- ####Bugs?! This is an early access release of the game, that means it is not fully complete. If you find that something is broken, or just have some suggestions, please let us know! <DIV class="browser"><a href="http://bludgeonsoft.org/report-a-bug" target="_blank">File a bug report...</a></DIV end="browser"> <DIV class="desktop"><a href="javascript:App.openURL('http://bludgeonsoft.org/report-a-bug?desktop')">File a bug report...</a></DIV end="desktop"> <DIV class="upcoming"> ####Here are some things that are planned in upcoming releases * many, many craftable tools and items, like: - statues (that can save/restore avatar styles) - name tags - DNA manipulation - recycling bin - more floors - more walls - more beverages * more music * an overhaul of anim behavior * an overhaul of zomb behavior (especially their city-building!) </DIV> -->