BASICS-- CONTROLS:

Move Mouse left: move ship left Move Mouse right: move ship right Left Mouse Button: fire projectilve Q, W, E: change current projectile

NOTE: Do NOT think that your mouse position is related to the ship position (that is, do not move the mouse in a circle -- move the mouse left to right - it's relative to the ship's perspective (left and right) not you as the player (around the whole circle)

You start with ship at full health (3) and weapon at level 1(red). If an asteroid hits your ship, the power of that asteroid is subtracted from the power of your ship (i.e. green asteroid destroys a green, yellow or red ship - yellow asteroid will make a green ship red (1 hp), destroy a yellow or red ship, and a red asteroid will make a green asteroid yellow, a yellow asteroid red, or destroy a red asteroid)

To move the ship, you move your mouse: left is to move the ship counter-clockwise, right is clock-wise (NOTE: do note move the mouse in a circle to "match" the 360 degree rotation of the ship -- if you don't get it right away, you will eventually) to fire your projectile weapon, press the left mouse button (eventually there will be be bombs and defense weapons (shields, mines, etc...) but for now, you play with projectiles only)

Projectile shots are three-fold: singleshot - spreadshot and laser shot.

Single shot is a single shot at a time - it has infinite ammo - no need to collect any powerups for it, or any extra ammo.

Spreadshot spreads 3 bullets at a time in a spread-out-fashion... (see note at bottom re: spreadshot -- short answer: don't use it right now; hit Q to switch back to single shot. Trust me)

Laser shot is fullpower (3 points of damage -- see below for info re: weapon power) and will continue past an asteroid to the edge of the screen after it destroys an asteroid (regardless of asteroid strength). shoots in a straight line.

In the upper left is your life count. In the upper right is your weapon indicator, current weapon power (indicated by the color or the icon (red, yellow, green)) and the current amount of ammo... there are 3 squares: single-spread-laser.

You switch between current weapons with Q (single) W (spread) or E (laser) keys

If there is no ammo available, you cannot switch to a weapon.

Asteroids move from random point on edge of screen towards center/blackhole. They increase the diameter of the blackhole if they hit it depending on their "hit points" (i.e. green enlarges it more than yellow which enlarges it more than red).

A shot subtracts the shot power from the asteroid. so a red shot (level 1) subtracts 1 point from the asteroid hit points -- destroying a red asteroid, but making a yellow asteroid red, and a green asteroid yellow. a yellow shot (power 2) destroys both a red and yellow asteroid, and makes a green asteroid into a red asteroid(i.e. subtracts 2 points from 3 points to make a 1 point asteroid). A green shot will destroy all 3 types of asteroids. :)

Asteroids may or may not have a powerup inside. Those that have a powerup inside contain a white circle inside their outer red-yellow-or-green-colored shell.

If you destroy an asteroid that contains a powerup, it will display an icon that continues on the same path as the asteroid and if your ship contacts/collides with that powerup, it collects it.

Icons: 3 circles in a diagonal form = spreadshot (10 units of ammo per powerup icon) Line in a diagonal form = laser (10 units of ammo per powerup icon) Circle with upward arrow = weapon powerup Green triangle = extra life/ship Red cross = health powerup (i.e. your ship goes to green/full hit points) GREEN RECTANGLE = Thruster powerup ---> it is these you want to collect to "win"/advance to the next level before the blackhole grows/eats you.

(un-implemented powerups in the game): 1) blue circle = shield to prevent all damage for a limited amount of time 2) 4 white circles in NSEW direction format: "proximity mines" spread around teh perimter

Scoring: Each shot you take that goes off the edge of the screen takes away points from your score, but if you take a shot and it destroys an asteroid, it gives you points. Accuracy counts.

NOTE: SPREADSHOT SUCKS! (at this point) due to the fact that you can't shoot until all 3 bullets are off-screen -- am working to rectify this somehow.