The Iris Block
The Iris Block
This is the iris power block. One laser shot will force the iris to open, revealing the power source. A second shot will destroy the power source, thus completing the level.
To shoot at the power block, you will have to find a way to clear a path for a laser beam to hit it. There are various other blocks such as mirrors and gates that will help or hinder your progress.
Blocks can both hinder and help you. From level to level you will be slowly introduced to new blocks all the time, and the descriptions below may be useful to you.
The Track Tank
Track Tanks fire lasers but can't be turned. As the name suggests, the tanks can move along tracks. To move a track tank, you must use an arrow block. Click with the left mouse button on the tank to shoot out a laser beam. Beware that it is possible to destroy a track tank by shooting it.
The Track Block
The tank can move along these tracks. There are always arrow blocks at both ends of the track to move the track tank with. Track Blocks can also be destroyed by laser fire.
The Mirror Block
These are one of the most commonly used blocks. They deflect laser fire 90 degrees when hit on the slanted golden mirror side. When hit on a flat non-mirror side, they will be pushed along.
The Movable Block
Moveable blocks do one thing only, they move when they are hit by laser. Most of the time they are used to obstruct a laser path, so you may have to find a way to move it out of the way.
The Steel Block
When a laser beam strikes a steel block, the block absorbs the energy and the laser can go no further. Steel blocks serve only as a permanent barrier.
The Brick Block
Brick blocks are weaker than steel blocks and can be totally obliterated by two shots from a laser cannon.
The Iris Power Block
Shoot these twice to complete the level. One shot will open the iris, revealing a vulnerable power source, the second shot will destroy the power source and complete the level.
The Pod Tank
These shoot laser beams just like a track tank. The difference is that pod tanks are not mounted on a track, they are welded in one place. However, if you shoot one, it will not be destroyed like a Track Tank, it will turn 90 degrees clockwise. This is very useful in some situations. Click with the left mouse button on the tank to shoot out a laser beam.
The Gate Block
You might notice that Gate Blocks look like Steel Blocks but with two channels cut into them. This is to let lasers through. However, when a laser beam passes through a gate block, it closes up and then acts like a steel block. In other words, gate blocks will only allow one laser beam to pass through.
The Arrow Block
Click on an arrow block to move a track tank along a track in the direction the arrow itself is facing.
The Acid Block
These slimy acidic puddles are strong enough to eat through anything, and that includes iris power blocks, so be careful! It can be pushed around using laser fire. To make it eat a block, push it into a block, or push the block on top of the acid if it is one you can move. However, once the acid puddle has eaten through a block, it will disappear, having been used up. Of course, acid blocks can't eat through other acid blocks.
The Rotating Gate Block
These are similar to normal Gate Blocks, but when you have shot through it, it will rotate 90 degrees. You can fire as many times as you like through a rotating gate block.
Laserstrike is made up of different levels. To load a level, go to the "File" menu and select "Open...", then select the level you wish to play. When you complete a level you will not go straight to the next one. This is because Laserstrike was not designed solely as a sequential game. You can skip a level and go to the next one if you are having difficulties. It is less infuriating for someone if they can play any level they like, instead of being stuck for days on the same level.
Each level has an expected time for completion, and a hint about how to solve it. To view the time and the hint, go to the "Edit" menu and select "Level Properties...". Note that the time value is only a guide, you can take as long as you like to complete any of the levels.
Playing the levels is only half the game. Much fun can be had creating your own levels, and creating levels for other people to solve adds a competitive element to the game. Level creation takes place in the Level Editor.
from LTEntity import LTEntity
from LTConstants import *
class Iris3(LTEntity):
def __init__(self,*args,**kwargs):
apply(LTEntity.__init__,(self,)+args,kwargs)
self.setup_states(num_states=3, orientable=False)
self.hits = 0
self.images[0] = self.loadImage("iris3.gif")
self.images[1] = self.loadImage("iris3_halfopen.gif")
self.images[2] = self.loadImage("iris3_open.gif")
def get_state(self):
if self.hits >=2:
return 2
else:
return self.hits
def hit(self,laser):
if self.hits>=2:
self.playsound("EXPLOS.WAV")
self.l.complete()
else:
self.playsound("IRISMOVE.WAV")
self.hits += 1
self.draw()
return True #True to absorb the laser, False to pass it through
By placing this file into AdditionalEntities, the new iris design will appear in the palette when editing levels, and can be saved into a .las file. If other people then load your level, they must also have your custom entity installed in AdditionalEntities.
For examples of how the classic Laserstrike blocks are coded up, have a look in entities.py. If you want to make a tweak, such as making a pod tank that turns the opposite way, you can import that entity to your custom one and subclass it.