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Sharko User's Guide and Manual

Last Updated: 12/27/2006 01:49:24 PM

Installation

Run the SharkoSetup.exe file and choose the correct installation folder from the install wizard. Follow the instructions and Sharko will soon be installed. Creating a SleazySoft ID is optional but will allow you to upload high scores.

If you downloaded the non-install version from this website, simply unzip it to a folder anywhere on your computer and run the Sharko.exe file.

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Instructions

To navigate the rough seas of Sharko's hood, you will use adjustable keyboard keys. By default they are set as A,W,S, and D but can be adjusted to virtually any other key, including a gamepad. While maneuvering you will want to collide Sharko with other smaller fish so that he can get his lunch on. As Sharko eats, he will continuously get larger and larger and you will score more and more points. You will also increase in level and with each passing level, the rate at which you grow will change as well as the ratio of small to large fish.

If you eat many fish quickly you will be awarded with a feeding frenzy. When Sharko enters a feeding frenzy, he will be so voracious that he can eat the largest of contenders and score double the points in the process! You must act quickly, however, because Sharko can be a lazy fish sometimes and his voracity will drop quickly. Also, if you pause the game to rest, Sharko will rest too.

Be on the lookout for helpful friends such as the enigmatic jellyfish. Eating a jellyfish will give Sharko sight beyond sight and he will know where all the large fish are. Hurry up though because the Jelly gift only lasts a short time. Also, time continues to run out even with the game paused.

Sharko has an innate special ability known as the Sulfurous Biological Deterrance or SBD for short. Once triggered, it will cause a gaseous anamoly to form near Sharko which will scare off predators who may wish to feast on him. This ability is only useable when Sharko has eaten sufficient fish to cause the small brown progress bar at the bottom of the screen to fill up completely. The default key binding for the special manuever is the letter 'E' but that too can be adjusted.

Combos are scored when you eat many fish in succession. By keeping the time between fish very brief you can rack up some extreme combos and score really high point bonuses! Be careful and don't get too greedy because you may just end up losing your combo if you become a snack!

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Uploading a Score

So you think you have what it takes to compete with the best Sharko players around? Well we've given you the proving grounds, an online scoreboard! If you end the game with a high score, upload it to the website where we will rank your performance against everyone else. There are many stats to master and the highest single score is only one of them. Uploading a score requires a valid SleazySoft ID.

To upload the score, after you lose you will see a button that says "Upload Score" in yellow right beneath the fish name and password box. Click on that button to begin the synchronization process. If you prefer to have the score automatically update on it's own, there is an option in the Options Screen that will enable it. You can also set a threshold for the automatic update so that you can maintain your average on the scoreboard.

Use of the scoreboard is governed by a set of Rules that are strictly enforced by SleazySoft moderators. The scoreboard also has a shoutbox that is moderated as well. Please review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using the shoutbox or uploading a score. We would like to keep the board a clean and safe community for Sharko fans. Have fun but be warned that the moderators take no mercy on "off-topic" discussions.

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Troubleshooting

Although we've put a lot of time into making sure Sharko performs well on many different combinations of computer parts, sometimes the game may run slowly and it will severely hinder gameplay.

One of the features that was recently introduced was near pixel-perfect collision. However, the algorithm used may be too intensive for older system. To remedy this, we've left a configuration variable in exo.cfg to disable this and return the game to the previous bounding box only collision which is much faster but a few orders of magnitude less precise. Find the line DisableColdet=0 and set it to be 1 instead of zero. This will speed the game up considerably on those close calls. However, if you are triggering the code that makes the game slow, that means you would have been eaten already.

Adjustment of in-game detail level can be done by changing the value of the Detail=3 line in exo.cfg. The acceptable values are 3 for maximum detail, 2 for reduced detail, 1 for minimal detail, and 0 for bare-bones detail. To give an idea of the optimizations performed, at level 3 you will see lots of bubbles and flora in the background. At detail=0, there will be no bubbles, no flora, and other reduced visuals. We recommend not going below detail=1 because you begin to lose certain game-play helping features like the frenzy aura.

If you are having trouble getting it to run in the first place, here is a checklist of things to look over.

  • DirectX 9.0c must be installed and you must have the latest D3DX9_27.dll installed properly.
  • Run exoConfig.exe and try some lesser settings. Often fiddling with these settings will get the game running or performing better.
  • If you've tried everything, open output.html in your browser and click the "Send us this log" button. Then take the confirmation number it gives you and either contact us or tell us your issues in the forums (registration is not required in the bugs and troubleshooting area). The forums are a great place to check to see if your questions has previously been answered as well.
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System Requirements

Sharko has the following minimum and recommended requirements:

  Minimum System Recommended System
CPU Speed: 750 MHz 1.2+ GHz
Windows: Windows 2000/XP Windows XP
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c DirectX 9.0c
Memory: 64MB 128MB
Video Card: 32MB 3D Card 128MB 3D Card
Audio: Audio Board w/ Speakers Audio Board w/ Speakers
Network: Dialup Broadband
Space:
—— ~6MB Hard Drive Space ——          
Resolution: 800x600 32-bit Color 1024x768 32-bit Color
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Credits

Eric Salerno Design, Programming, 3D Models, Web Interaction, Sound Effects
Danielle Lahmeyer Character and Theme Development, 2D Artwork
AUM Voice Talent
Sharko uses some 3D models (with textures) from 3D Cafe.

Beta Testers and Special Thanks: (in no particular order)
Kenneth Manta from Polyart Network Gaming
Michael Morton from ZiggyWare
Martin Blore from BreakPoint Games
Ultyma
Darq
EFNet #gamedev and #mystic

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