Although there is a tutorial to quickly learn how to play the game, let me give you a few tips to start with :
- You may find easier to play with a Xbox 360 Controller even if any others controller should be supported as well as gamepad.
- Use the special key (Right mouse button e.g.) to take a look at the surrounding.
- Releasing your power bar (with the left mouse button e.g.) at maximum power is not always the best practice.
- Press the down key to avoid the golf ball as well as any other player on your way. This is handy if you or the golf ball are getting stuck !
- Double hit the down key to pass through platforms.
- The game is more fun with 2 or 3 friends. Everyone can choose a team color (Free-for-all, 2 Vs 2or even 3 Vs 1).
- You can plug more controllers and configure each player keys in the player selection menu.
Here is a short description of options available in the level selection menu :
- Golf Ball : Let you choose between different types of Golf Ball.
Hedgehog Ball – A rolling Hedgehog moving by itself when nobody is around.
Magic Ball – A very bouncy ball.
Death Ball – A living sleepy ball that brings up deadly spikes when she is awake.
Golf Ball – A regular golf ball
Rugby Ball - A rugby ball harder to control (only available in the Full Registered Version)
Cubic Ball - A present box that stop more easily (only available in the Full Registered Version)
(…) more type of Golf Ball are already planned but feel free to give suggestions.
- Regular Golf : Let you choose the rule or the game mode that apply for the next level.
Rolling Stones – The player is replaced by a rolling stone and act like a golf ball (you can score if you manage to put yourself in the golf Hole).
Capture the Rabbit – The golf Hole is replaced by a Golden Rabbit. Touch it to score one point or hit it with the Golf Ball to score 3 points !
Regular Golf – Normal rules.
- Auto Shoot : When activated, the player simply have to release the action key to shoot automatically at max speed.
- Creatures : If deactivated, no creatures (birds, snails, fishes, bunnies, etc.) will be present in the next level.
- Zero Gravity : Remove the gravity and let you play in the air !
- Time unlimited : Take your time to play.
- Time attack : The timer will be triggered, try to beat your best time !
- Time limit : You have a limited time to complete the next level.
- Big Hole : Will triple the size of a Golf Hole making it easier to put.
- Par in : If this box is checked you must succeed the next level by the give Par number. If you reach a higher score you lose. In multiplayer, you are not allowed to shoot anymore if you reach that limit and if everyone reach it then the game is over.
- Ball Contact : Prevent any player to drag the ball with their feet like in any real mini-golf game (but it’s so funny why…).
Each of these options can be combined to create your very own rules !
Please, choose your level first because each level comes with a predefined number of rules (the change is automatic).
For advanced users only ! (Level Editor and Debug Tools)
Now, if you like to experiment or stress-test the sandbox engine of Metagolf (called Meta-engine) here is a few others things to know :
- Open the Debug Panel thanks to the tilde key ~ (above the tab key on most computer, sometimes near the enter key on Mac, or the letter 4 in Linux).
- This will unlock the debug tools and allow you to drag and create objects on the fly.
- To create various objects on the fly, press down the CTRL key and rotate the mouse wheel in order to select an object then click the left mouse button to spawn one object or the right mouse button to spawn many objects. Remember that Metagolf was developed to work well with around one thousand objects, after that amount you may experience slow-down on old machines.
- To drag object just drag’n'drop them with the mouse from any Camera. If you want to drag something from the Golf Ball Camera simply press down CTRL to confirm (handy to replace the Golf Ball).
- Press the F1, F2, F3 and F4 keys to bring up an extra player on the fly.
- The options present in the debug panel are for development purpose only and are not of great importance.
- Press the F10 key to reload any level quickly with the same set of rules.
- Press the F8 key to bring up the Built-in Level Editor to change/add/remove anything from the current loaded level.
- Don’t forget that you can open the Level Editor Help Panel by pressing F12 when you are inside.
Note that you will only be able to create new levels, save and load them in the Full featured version of Metagolf.
