C
HAPTER
10. P
LUGINS
77
The scoreboard
On the right side of the game field is the score board. For each worm it displays its
status and its length. The top most entry displays the state of worm 1, the second
worm 2 and the third worm 3. When a worm dies its entry on the score board turns
black.
Len:
Here the current length of the worm is displayed. When a worm is eating food it
grows by one pixel for each step it moves.
Hungry:
That’s the normal state of a worm. Worms are always hungry and want to
eat. It is good to have a hungry worm since it means that your worm is alive. But
it is better to get your worm growing.
Growing:
When a worm has eaten a piece of food it starts growing. For each step it
moves over food it can grow by one pixel. One piece of food lasts for 7 steps.
After your worm has moved 7 steps the food is used up. If another piece of food
is eaten while growing it will increase the size of the worm for another 7 steps.
Crashed:
This indicates that a worm has crashed against a wall.
Argh:
If the score board entry displays “Argh!” it means the worm is dead because it
tried to eat an “argh”. Until we can make the worm say “Argh!” it is your job to
say “Argh!” aloud.
Wormed:
The worm tried to eat another worm or even itself. That’s why it is dead
now. Making traps for other players with a worm is a good way to get them out
of the game.
Hints
•
Initially you will be busy with controlling your worm. Try to avoid other worms
and crawl far away from them. Wait until they curl up themselves and collect the
food afterwards. Don’t worry if the other worms grow longer than yours - you
can catch up after they’ve died.
•
When you are more experienced watch the tactics of other worms. Those worms
controlled by artificial stupidity head straight for the nearest piece of food. Let the
other worm have its next piece of food and head for the food it would probably
want next. Try to put yourself between the opponent and that food. From now
on you can ’control’ the other worm by blocking it. You could trap it by making
a 1 pixel wide U-turn. You also could move from food to food and make sure
you keep between your opponent and the food. So you can always reach it before
your opponent.
T
HE
R
OCKBOX MANUAL
A
RCHOS
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NDIO
