This file describes the controls for playing the game of Free Hero Mesh.
This file describes them in terms of the default key/mouse bindings; if
they have been changed, then some of the things mentioned in this file
might not apply.
The grid of objects is displayed in the right half of the screen, and the
left side can be toggled (by pushing the TAB key) between displaying the
replay list and displaying the inventory. See the below section about the
margin area for more details.
Play by pushing the keys for this game (normally, the arrows are used to
move the player object; sometimes diagonals are also allowed, in which
case the number pad can be used if num lock is off). This game does not
depend on timing or randomness; you have as much time as you want to
decide your next move. You can also rewind and replay moves; see the
below section for details.
The goal of this game depends on the specific puzzle set being played. In
Hero Hearts, you have to catch all Hearts and then reach the Exit. In the
left margin will display the win/lose state of the game.
There are two features for helping you: If you click on any object with
the middle button, help text is displayed with a description of that
object. If you click with the right button, a list of objects at that
location is displayed, and you can then view all variables of that object.
Different puzzle sets may have different game rules; you can read the
class definition file to learn more precisely the rules of the game.
You can push the ESC key to restart a level. You can also push the plus
and minus on the number pad to skip levels, or CTRL+G allows you to access
a specific level directly by its order number. Push CTRL+T to display the
level title.
=== Margin area ===
At the top of the screen on the left side is displayed the numbers: the
order number, the ID number, the version number, and the code number, in
that order. Below that is the grid dimensions, and then the coordinates of
where the mouse arrow is pointing at (if any). The level order number is
red if you have not solved the level, green if you have solved the level,
or yellow during the solution replay.
There are two modes of the display, either the replay list or the
inventory list.
The replay list displays the blue current move number (initially zero),
and below that will be the part of the move list, and the total number
of recorded moves on the bottom (which will be green during the solution
replay mode). The current move is marked by yellow ~~ mark, and the marked
move is marked by purple ~~ mark.
The inventory list displays the icons of the inventory items, with their
number next to each one. Some puzzle sets will display information here
such as which keys you have.
=== Replay and solutions ===
When you play moves, they are automatically recorded in the replay list.
The replay list is saved with each level even when you access a different
level, and is saved in the user cache database even if you quit and then
run Free Hero Mesh again later.
You can click on the replay list to rewind/advance to the specified move;
you can also use the keys F1, F2, F3, F4 to replay a specified number of
moves (1, 10, 100, or 1000), or the same keys with SHIFT to rewind that
number of moves.
You can set a mark by pushing F5. You can then push F6 or F7 to rewind or
replay up to this point. The marks are also saved with each level and is
saved in the user cache database too.
You can also delete moves by pushing the DELETE key (the next move to be
played in the replay list is deleted), or toggle insertion mode by pushing
the INSERT key. While insertion mode is active, the move list displays
"I~" and any new moves entered will be inserted into the current position
in the move list instead of overwriting it. Insertion mode is reset when
restarting a level or accessing a different level, and will be temporarily
disabled while playing back the replay list.
You can also import/export move lists. Push CTRL+I to import or CTRL+X
to export, and at the prompt type the operating system command which will
send the move list to stdout or receive the move list from stdin, for
example if you want the file called "Movelist" then you can type "cat
Movelist" to read that file or "cat > Movelist" to write to that file.
Push F8 to toggle solution replay. During solution replay, you cannot
play your own moves, but can still rewind/replay as noted above, and you
can push ALT+P for slow replay. During the slow replay, you can pause it
by pushing ALT+P again, and you can push ALT+[ and ALT+] to adjust speed.
If you solve a level yourself, you can push CTRL+S to record the solution.
The solution will be recorded in the puzzle set once the user cache is
flushed as described below. If the .saveSolution resource is true, then
it will automatically save the solution (although not necessarily to the
puzzle set files).
There are also save state slots, which are separate for each level; you
can have up to eight such save states recorded at once. Use SHIFT to save,
CTRL to load, or ALT to exchange, together with a number 1 to 8.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Saving the solutions here will only save them in the user
cache database, not to the puzzle set file. To save them to the puzzle
set file, you must invoke heromesh -f to flush the user cache. The local
replay list and mark will not be saved in the puzzle set though; they are
local to the user account. If the .autoSave resource is true, then it will
do this automatically.
=== List of levels ===
You can push CTRL+L to display a list of levels. This list displays the
numbers of the levels green if you have solved it or red otherwise. You
can also push the following:
* F1 = Toggle tall/wide mode. The tall mode lists one level per row, and
shows the columns of the details. The wide mode only displays the level
numbers but more will fit on the screen at once.
* F2 = Toggle displaying order numbers or ID numbers.
* F3 = Display list of divisions of levels. This function is not available
in all puzzle sets. When this function is activated, you can push return
or right mouse button to list only the subset of levels in that division.
* F4 = Cancel the division display, and list all levels.
* Space or middle mouse button = Display title.
* Return or right mouse button = Go to selected level.
=== Summary of default key/mouse bindings ===
(Below, "KP" means the "key pad" or "number pad".)
Keyboard:
CTRL+D Describe by keyboard
CTRL+E Level editor
CTRL+G Go to level
CTRL+I Import move list
CTRL+L List of levels
CTRL+Q Quit
CTRL+R Select a level at random
CTRL+S Save solution
CTRL+T Display level title
CTRL+X Export move list
CTRL+Y Sound test
F1 Replay 1 move
F2 Replay 10 moves
F3 Replay 100 moves
F4 Replay 1000 moves
SHIFT+F1 Rewind 1 move
SHIFT+F2 Rewind 10 moves
SHIFT+F3 Rewind 100 moves
SHIFT+F4 Rewind 1000 moves
F5 Set mark
F6 Rewind to mark
F7 Replay to mark
F8 Toggle solution replay
SHIFT+F8 Load solution
CTRL+F8 Load personal best
F9 Flash player position
F10 SQL queries
ESC Restart level
TAB Toggle inventory/replay display
KP ENTER Restart level
KP + Next level
KP - Previous level
ALT+KP + Next unsolved level
ALT+KP - Previous unsolved level
SHIFT+KP + Last level
SHIFT+KP - First level
ALT+G Inspect globals
ALT+P Begin slow replay
ALT+R Select a unsolved level at random
ALT+[ Increase slow replay speed
ALT+] Decrease slow replay speed
INS Toggle insertion mode
DEL Delete a move
CTRL+DEL Delete all moves forward
SHIFT+DEL Delete moves up to mark
SHIFT+num Save state 1 to 8
CTRL+num Load state 1 to 8
ALT+num Exchange state 1 to 8
Mouse (in grid):
SHIFT+LEFT Attempt to move player
MIDDLE Describe topmost object
CTRL+MIDDLE Show lines
RIGHT Inspect objects (main world)
SHIFT+RIGHT Inspect objects (bizarro world)