Hey guys this is Aprone.  This read me file is quite pathetic.  There are missing pieces because I am lazy and did not finish filling in the shapes.  Sorry about that.



System requirements:
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Computer, at least 1 hand, ears, brain activity, candy is also recommended.  :D
Windows XP
Windows Vista will work but may require an extra step
Windows 7 will work but may require an extra step
Direct X7
One of the following input devices:
Trackpad, Trackball, or Mouse (recommended)
Stereo headphones or speakers are recommended

If you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7 you may encounter an error if you don't have direct X7 registered. Follow these steps to register the file and the error should be corrected.
Put dx7vb.dll into the c:\windows\syswow64 folder. The file to copy can be found within the game's folder. After copying, open command prompt as an administrator. Go to c:\windows\syswow64 and type regsvr32 dx7vb.dll

If you are running a 32 bit version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, you won't have a syswow64 folder.  If that is the case, follow these instructions instead.  Put dx7vb.dll into the c:\windows\system32 folder. The file to copy can be found within the game's folder. After copying, open command prompt as an administrator. Go to c:\windows\system32 and type regsvr32 dx7vb.dll


Object of the game:
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The object of "Daytona and the Book of Gold" is to memorize and repeat shapes using the mouse or track pad.  To progress in levels, the player must replicate the shapes quickly and accurately.  "Daytona" encourages the development of hand coordination by using an input device not normally found in vision accessible games.


The Story:
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The story of the game is that you are an impoverished wizard who has come across a spell capable of conjuring magical [gold] coins out of thin air!  Obviously such a spell would solve all of your troubles but the spell is quite difficult.  Coins are easily created but they will simply turn in to smoke and vanish unless the mystical gateway can be made stable with the spell.  Speed and accuracy is the only way to stabilize the magic gateway through its different stages (levels).  If you cast your spell too slowly it will never become more stable than it currently is.


Controls:
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Use Tab and Enter to move through the game's menus.  You can use Shift+Tab to move in the opposite direction in menus.
Use can also use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate the game's menus.
The A key is used to active the sound map mode while in the training section of the game.
The A key is used to play the current shape's sound map during the spell mode in the game.
A+Shift turns off sound map mode.
Right mouse button resets and activates the training beacon in the training section of the game.
Right mouse button plays the next spell shapes you are required to cast during the spell mode of the game.
Spacebar pauses or unpauses the training beacon in the training section of the game.
Left and Right arrow quickly moves you between shapes in the training mode so you don't have to go back to the menu.
Pressing and holding Z is an alternative to holding the left mouse button.  Some laptop trackpads will not allow a person to hold down a button while moving, so this key is necessary.
Pressing X is an alternative to pressing the right mouse button.

Starting with the Book of Gold:
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Consult the book of gold, choose the first shape.


How to play:
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The first thing you'll want to do is enter the "Book of Gold" from the main menu.  Learn the first 2 spell shapes, Claw and Arrow.  These are required for the first level and are enough to get you started.  Once you've learned those shapes try playing the game by choosing to "Cast the spell" in the main menu.
To begin the actual game Choose "cast the spell" from the main menu.  Next you will be allowed to choose your starting level.  If you have previously unlocked additional levels, you can choose to skip directly to any of those levels.

Once the game begins a voice to your right will list off the next 3 spell shapes you must perform in order.  If you fail to make the correct shape you will not be penalized in any way other than the fact that some time was wasted.  Once you have completed the 3 shapes the voice will automatically read off the next 3 that need to be done.  At any time you may click the right mouse button and the voice will repeat the shapes you still need to draw.  If you have already done some of the 3 it will only list what you still need to do.

Imagine trying to fill a bucket up with water that has a hole in the bottom.  This game works in the same way.  Each time you successfully draw a shape it is like pouring a glass of water into the bucket.  While you are busy drawing the next shape water is slowly but constantly leaking out of the bucket.  If you are quick enough you will overcome the leak and eventually fill the bucket to the top.  The game's background music becomes more and more intense as the bucket nears being full.  Filling the bucket will take you to the next level which has a slightly larger bucket and adds in the next shape.  Even if you stopped entirely and the bucket emptied of all water, you will remain at whatever level you had reached.  The other benefit is that the first time you reach a new level it is permanently unlocked, allowing you to begin at that level next time you wish to play.

Remember, since new levels are permanently unlocked, there is no harm in leaving the game to practice (or learn) a new shape in the Book of Gold.  Have fun and Please leave me as much feedback as you can!  Everyone's suggestions help make these games better so please let me know what you think!

Choosing an easier difficulty will lower the rate at which your progress drains away.  In the bucket example you could imagine easy mode as being a very small hole while hard mode would be one 3 times the size.  If you aren't fast enough to pass a level, try playing it on an easier difficulty setting.

How to draw each shape:
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For the purposes of these instructions I will use compass directions N, S, E, W as well as the angled directions NE, SE, SW, and NW.  North represents and upward movement of the mouse.
- [Arrow]
	To draw arrow you begin with a line heading North, the length of the line isn't important.  Stop moving and make a line heading South-west.  Stop again and make another sharp turn to form a line to the East.  Stop again and finish the shape by drawing a line to the North-west.  Of the 4 lines you drew, the last 3 lines formed a triangle.

- [Claw]
	To draw claw, begin by drawing a line heading North-west.  The next part is shaped like the letter U.  Start mving South, curve to the East, and finish by curving the rest of the way so you are headed North. Stop so that you can change direction for the last piece.  The final piece is identical to the last piece you drew.  To draw the final U shape head South, curve to the East, and finish by curving the rest of the way so you are heaed North.  The completed shape was 1 line and 2 curves.  The 2 curves make the shape resemble the letter w.

- [strike]
	Strike ends up being shaped like a "no smoking sign" but with the diagonal line going in the opposite direction.  Begin by heading West and making a large counter clockwise circle.  At the end of the circle you should be heading west again.  Now pause and make a line heading South-east.

- [Shelter]
	Shelter begins by making a square.  Make 4 lines, South, East, North, and then West.  Make sure the lines are straight since angled lines won't be accepted on this shape.  Now make a line heading North-east and a final line heading South-east.  The last 2 lines have formed a triangle on top of the square.

- [Razor]
	Razor is essentially a mirrored capital R that was flipped upside down tilted a little, not helpful, I agree and that's why I almost didn't bother telling you that!  lol!  Begin the shape by drawing a line South-west.  Pause for a moment and begin heading South as you start drawing a counter clockwise circle.  We don't want to actually finish the circle though.  Once your circle is 3 quarters of the way finished you will be heading West and that is when we want to stop.  Finish with a straight line to the East.

- [Slash]
	Slash starts with a straight line NE (north east), stop suddenly and go West, then stop again and do a line SE.

- [Rev]
	Rev starts with a quick line West, then East, then West, and then East again.  Then start to move south a little as you do a circle in a clockwise direction that ends going south again.  The circle part sounds confusing so I'll explain it a different way.  The circle starts going south, then SW, then W, then NW, then N, then NE, then E, then SE, and finally back to S.  It can be done in a smooth fluid motion once you get the hang of it.

- [Retreat]
	Retreat starts out with a line going North.  Stop suddenly and make 3 more lines, first SW, then SE, then SW again.

- [Loop]
	Loop is actually 2 circles connected together, where the first one is clockwise and the other is counter clockwise.  The end of one circle becomes the beginning of the next, and the entire thing is started by heading SW.  You can smooth this out once you have practice, but the path follows SW, W, NW, N, NE, E, SE, and then continues to form the next circle which is already going SE, then E, NE, N, NW, W, and finishes up SW.  The whole shape ends up being shaped like the "infinity" symbol found in mathematics.

- [Luck]
	Luck is a tricky one, and it is actually shaped like an upper case cursive L.  The shape contains 2 "loops" that are almost circles but stop before going all the way around.  Start out by going East, then the first loop is NE, N, NW, W, SW, and South.  Allow yourself to go south for a moment just to help you keep your directions straight.  Now the second loop starts as you're already going South.  Go SW, W, NW, N, NE, and end with East.  Allow the final East movement to become its own line.



Credits:
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- Game design, story, and programming by Aprone (Jeremy Kaldobsky).
- The background music was taken, without permission, from a web game that seems to have taken it from somewhere else.  The other game failed to credit the music to any source so I am not sure where it originates from.
- Game sounds have been pulled from various sources including donations from my pals at Audiogames.net.
- My buddy Steven Strait is supposed to provide me with some new voice acting soon.