Welcome to perilous Marathon, a game by IMS Productions!
1. Getting started
Windows version:
Once you download the game onto your computer, you can extract pm_win.zip where ever you wish the game to be stored. Just launch perilousMarathon.exe and start playing!
Mac version:
Once you download the game to your computer, go to the downloads folder and open perilousMarathon_mac.dmg. You will find the .app file that needs to be copied to your applications folder. Once you are done, feel free to eject and remove the disk image.
2. Launching for the first time
When you run the game for the first time, you will be prompted to enter a name. If you are registered, this name will be used for accessing and posting to the scoreboards. You can change this at any time in the options menu explained later on in this manual.
2.1. Mac OS warning!
If you're using Mac OS to play, it is strongly recommended that you disable VoiceOver. If VoiceOver is left enabled while you play, VoiceOver may hold down the playing keys after they have been released.
3. The User interface
This game is written with blind and visually impaired people in mind, so there are absolutely no graphics. This game has audio interfaces, which can be controled using the keyboard. Here are the types of interfaces that you will encounter and how to navigate them
3.1. Dialogs:
3.1.1. Text dialogs
Most of the time perilous Marathon will speak through the first available screen reader. If there is no reader active or you are playing on the Mac, it will use SAPI5 or NSSS. There are times where the game will need to display some important information, so it will display text dialogs. Text dialogs are just spoken like everything else, however you must press the Return key to dismiss them and pressing all four arrow keys will repeat the message being displayed. If you wish to copy the current dialog to the clipboard, press the letter C.
3.1.2. Instructional dialogs:
Instructional dialogs are used when viewing the game instructions or stats for a game. They function just like normal text dialogs, so just press enter to keep moving forward. They are designed to make sure the user understands before continuing.
3.1.3. Audio dialogs:
Audio dialogs play a sound and you must wait for the sound to be finished playing before the game continues. You can press Return to skip the playing sound and move along quicker.
3.2. Menus:
Menus are very self-explanatory. You can press Up and Down arrows to select an option and Return to activate the focused item. If you miss what the menu is, you can press the Tab key to hear the title. Pressing Page up and Page down encreeses and decreeses the volume of the music if it is playing. You can press Escape to go to the previous menu or exit the game if you are in the main menu.
3.3. Input boxes:
Input boxes in this game are easy to use. Pressing the Tab key will repeat the title of the input box if you missed what it was, and Return submits the entered input to the game. Left and Right arrows move your cursor, and Home and End will move you to the top or bottom of the input box. Please note: there are text boxes that are predefined. This means that they will contain text already entered, so make sure that you are not typing information over other text. It is recommended that you review the entered text by pressing the Up or Down arrows.
4. Menu overview:
When you launch perilous Marathon, you will be put in the main menu. Here are the options and a short description of each option.
4.1. The main menu:
Start game: Starts the game, of course.
View scoreboard: If you are registered, lists the top scores submited by players.
Register game: if you are not registered, this option will ask for a product key and will ask for your name. Once entered, your key will be checked for validity.
options: Opens the options menu to change settings like display name, etc.
Read online manual: This option will open the manual that you are currently reading.
Redownload message of the day: redownload the message of the day from the IMS Productions server and displays it.
Exit game: Don't click that option. It exits the game!
4.2. The options menu:
This is a small overview of the options menu. Everything is self-explanatory.
Change display name: if you are registered, you can change your display name. Your display name is the name used when sending your scores to the scoreboard.
Disable logo at startup: disables the musical chime you hear when you first open the game.
Clear data: Clears your configuration for this game. Please note: if you clear your data and you are registered, your game will unregister.
Back to main menu: returns you to the main menu.
5. Playing the game:
Once you start the game, you will hear the game counting down and you will start walking. The objective in the game is to score as many points as possible while your character speeds up in time and you encounter bombs, hazards, blades and horses.
5.1: hazards and obstacles
Here is a list of the different types of obstacles you will face in the game.
Blades: blades swing in the direction you're walking so its best to jump over them because if you are under them when they swing at you, you will die instantly.
electrical pits: electrical pits produce a constant electricity sound. Jump over them before you fall and get zapped!
Walls: walls will just block your way, so throw rocks at them to destroy them. If you are near a wall, you will hear a radar. The closer you are, the higher the radar's pitch will be as you walk.
Firepits: firepits will produce a fire-type sound. Jump over this hole or burn in hell!
Chasms: If you get to the cave, you will hear a chasm like sound. Jump over these and try to avoid them because you might just be sucked in with out landing on them directly!
bombs: bombs will fall from the sky and can be good or bad. If there are horses near you, they will most likely die, unless they get out of the way. If you don't jump to avoid it or it spanws on top of you wish can and will happen, you will lose five points. If you avoid it however, you will gain five points.
Horses: Horses are really, just annoying. They are running around but just can't stand people in their way. If you duck, they won't see you though. So just hold down the down arrow key to duck and release it when the horse passes you and you want to continue walking. Once you release the key, you can't duck for another ten seconds.
boulders: Oh these boulders are really dangerous. These are huge rolling rocks that are out to get you. They are fast so be quick when you hear them. If you hear one coming, turn using the left and right arrows and press the R key to throw a rock at them! If you are too far though, they won't be hit, so time this correctly because there is a time between throws!
5.2. Keyboard controls:
Here is a list of keys and what they do.
Up arrow: Jumps.
Down arrow: ducks down.
Left and Right arrows: turn left or right.
S: checks score and level.
D: uses a bomb defuser if available.
Escape: exits the game.
5.3. Items:
When you are running, you will hear a clicking sound. This is most likely an item. When you think you are close to it, press the spacebar to pick it up. Here is a list of them:
defuser: defuses all bombs nearby.
speed up: speeds you up.
slow down: slows your character down.
mouse trap: traps you for 5 seconds!
5.4. Score posting:
IF you score 75 points or higher, you are able to post your score if you are playing the full version. Please note: to post your score you must have an active internet connection. Once your score is sent, you will be told what position you scored. Can you reach position one?
6. Registration and updates:
Parilous Marathon is available for $5.99. To order, please
click here
Once you have purchased your key you may activate your game using the register option in the main menu.
6.1. Important notes about activating
Once you purchase your key, it will be processed by IMS Productions. This process can take up to 24 hours. If you have not received this key within two days after purchase, please get in contact with us. While registering, you must have an active internet connection to check with the IMS server everything entered is correct.
6.2. Sharing and pirating keys:
Sharing your Parilous Marathon product key is absolutely not allowed. If you are using a pirated key or a key you do not own, we strongly encourage you purchase your own product key for the game. If IMS Productions detects that your key is being abused, we will try to get in contact with you. If there is no response within 7 days, your key will be flagged and deactivated.
7. Credits:
Thank you to the following people who have helped me develop this game. With out them, this game would have never been possible, and definitely not what it is today!
7.1. Development:
Thanks to the following people who have helped significantly in game development.
The lucia team for allowing me to use the Lucia framework
Carter Temm for his endless support with programming.
7.2. Beta testers:
Thanks to the following people for testing the game and sending feedback.
Added a sound to indicate when your laser is moving, thanks Bran!
Storms will now spawn depending on your level
Added the hazard storm
Added the door / gate storm
Adjusted the laser timer so it's more fair during a storm of rocks and walls
Fixes a bug with the scoreboard menu crashing when attempting to copy a score to the clipboard
Changes windows building process, no longer using pyinstaller to compile
Bombs no longer come from the right side of the screen
Removes VoiceOver warning as it was extremely buggy and unreliable
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.62:
Secured registration system
Removed rocks and replaced them with lasers, because can a rock really destroy a boulder? Due to this change the key to fire the laser is now f
Aded checkboxes and sliders to the options menu. Note: after you are done adjusting your options press return to confirm your setting and save it
Fixes a traceback error when pausing the game and bombs were active
Fixes turn sound not playing
redesigned some sounds in the game
Fixes a bug with the scoreboard reporting the wrong position when posting your score
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.61:
Fixes inventory bugs with several items
Fixes game progress tones in the game updater
Perilous Marathon is now fully cross-platform, so the following changes have been made
You can now adjust the speaking rate of the game. Press F2 or F3 to decrease or increase the speaking rate
Game updates will not be downloaded directly to your system. The game will provide a URL that you must click manually to download the update
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.6:
Switches to a much better scoreboard, thanks Carter
Redesigned game board
Cleaned up main menu and added a help system
Adds a shop
Adds a new obstacle, doors! These need to be unlocked by a gate. A gate usually spawns right next to the door and you must press the spacebar to unlock the door
Rewrote stats system. Your stats should properly after a each game
Adds a pause function. Press the letter P, to pause or unpause the game
Hazards are now harder to pass
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.52:
Adds the boulder storm, a storm of boulders that come at you quickly!
Adds the bomb storm, which does the same thing as the boulder storm
You can now skip the count-down voice by pressing return
Adds a sound when posting your score
Cythonizes game code
Some core sound redesign
Changes in Perilous Marathon version 1.51:
Fixes a bug in the options menu if you tried setting non-existing music volume
changes count-down to a voice
Fixes registration server issues
Changes in Perilous Marathon version 1.5:
Added an auto-updater, no more going to the website to redownload the update!
No more silent walls!
Fixes the fake hazards steps bug
Slows down the horsies, thanks Paul for idea
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.4:
Updated the registration process to use standard dialogs and input boxes
Updated the leveling system making it a little easier to level up
Fixes a bug in the options menu causing all menu elements not to work
More bug fixes
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.3:
Added a sound tutorial
Fixes many traceback errors with internet connection
Makes the game launcher faster
Removes Mac OS support as we do not have resources to keep up with apple's requirements for Mac apps
Changes in Perilous Marathon 1.2:
You can now hold in the UP and Down arrows to move through menus
Using new menu system thanks to Mason Armstrong
Added an option in the options menu to set the number of scores you can view on the scoreboard
Since you get points for mostly everything you do now, the game doesn't give you 20 points every 15 seconds. This probably made leveling up a little harder, but I thought it was too easy to begin with
Fixes a traceback error players were getting when viewing stats for a finished game
You can now hit boulders and walls with rocks if you're jumping
Fixes the bug with sounds not playing when you died in certain areas of the map
If you run into a wall you get told how you die
Changes in PerilousMarathon version 1.1:
Demo upgraded to 5 minutes
Added walls you must get around, good luck!
Fixes stats system
Updated game logic to speed you up when it was time to speed up if you were jumping
Fixes a bug with non-existing electricity pits killing you
Mac OS will now remind you about VoiceOver if the screen reader is actually active
Fixes a registration bug caused by SSL changes on the server