Gambit Singapore-MIT Game Lab Presents:

Backflow

To Install "Backflow:"

On Sony Ericsson k800 mobile phones

I. Transfer and install the file "Backflow.jar" on your mobile phone
	1. Via Bluetooth wireless transfer (your computer must support Bluetooth for this option)
		a. To enable Bluetooth on you k800 phone, navigate to Menu > Settings > Connectivity > Bluetooth
		b. Choose to turn on Bluetooth if it is not yet on.
		c. From your PC, right-click on the "Backflow.jar" file and select Send To > Bluetooth Device
		d. Locate your phone in the Bluetooth browser and send the file.
		e. When prompted by the phone, allow it to receive the file from the computer.
		f. When prompted by the phone, allow it to install the game.
		g. Play immediately, or find the game later under > Menu > Entertainment > Games
            h. For more information or troubleshooting, see the Bluetooth help file on your PC, and view the manual that came with your phone.
	2. Via direct connection to PC with a USB
		a. Make sure all drivers and software that came with your phone have been installed on your PC.
		b. Connect the phone to the PC with the USB cable that was supplied with the phone.
		c. When prompted, select File Transfer Mode, this will allow your PC to recognize the phone as a storage device (you will not be able to receive calls in this mode).
		d. On your PC, navigate to "My Computer" and open the storage drive associated with your phone.
		e. Drag or copy the "Backflow.jar" file to the phone.
		f. On the PC, click the "Safely remove device" icon in the system tray, and select the drive associated with the phone.
		g. Disconnect the phone from the PC.
		h. Back in Phone mode, navigate to Menu > File Manager, and find the "Backflow.jar" file.
		i. Click on the file and follow the installation instructions.
		j. If prompted, select the "Games" folder as the destination for the installed program.


Playing "Backflow"

Backflow is a cross between a casual-style action game and a multiplayer strategy game for mobile phones. 
In the game you take control of the waste disposal infrastructure for a city. It's your job to make sure each type of waste goes to the right place. 
By flipping switches on pipe intersection points you direct the flow of waste to processing facilities at the bottom of the screen. 
Send recyclables to the right bins and they'll be converted into resources that you can use to upgrade your system. 
But put things in the wrong place and you'll increase the pollution in your city.
Keep pollution low and your city will grow, but if it gets out of control your citizens will leave in droves!
As your city grows in population, waste comes out faster and more frequently, and upgrades become more and more important. 
Trade resources with other players to make sure you can keep upgrading.
Try and build the biggest city you can without getting buried in the garbage!


Starting the game will put you at the main menu.  Here you have several options.

1. New Game - Start a new game.  To play the main game, you need to register a new account using the phone's Internet connection.  This may incur charges to your mobile account.
2. Continue - Continue a saved game.  When you play Backflow, the results of each play are automatically saved to your account.
3. Practice Mode - As your play the main game, you unlock levels in Practice Mode.  With this mode, you can practice the single player game of pipes and switches without an Internet connection.
4. Sounds - Click on this option to turn sounds on or off.  Default is on.
5. Instructions - Brief game instructions.
6. Credits - See who designed the game!
7. Quit - This will exit the game.  Keep in mind that you can receive calls while playing the game (game play will be paused automatically), but you cannot make calls.

Once you log in to the game, you will see a status screen for your city.  Here you can keep track of some important measurements:

Population: What's a city without people?  Your population is the primary measurement of city size, and the key determinant of how much and how fast waste travels through your pipes.
		Increase your population and fulfill various level goals to advance to new pipe configurations.  Keep in mind that each type of city generates a different balance of waste.
		There are five different pipe "maps."
			Town: < 50,000 residents
			Small City: 50k - 100k residents
			Medium City: 100k - 300k residents
			Large City: 300k - 1,000k residents
			Mega City: > 1,000k residents

Pollution:  In addition to being environmentally unfriendly, nobody likes to live in a polluted city.  Your city's pollution will determine whether people will flock to or flee from your city.
		Pollution is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, 100 being the most polluted you can get.
		When you play the game, errors in sorting the waste will add to your pollution level.  
		You can upgrade your pollution control facility to reduce the amount of pollution emitted for each error.
		There's no way to decrease the pollution except with time; pollution will decrease a given amount each "day."
		If you stay ahead of the pollution, allowing it to gradually decrease, your population will increase.  But if it gets above a certain threshold, your city can shrink.

Resources:  It pays to recycle!  Properly sorted recyclables can be processed and reused to build upgrades to your infrastructure.
		There are three kinds of recyclables:
			Glass
			Paper
			Metal
		Upgrading your system will cost an investment of these resources.
		Playing the game well allows you to increase your inventory, but there may come a time when one or more items that you need are scarce.
		Trade on the market with other Backflow players around the world to find deals on the resources you need.

From the Status Screen you can choose to do any of several actions:

1. Continue:   This will take you to the primary gameplay screen.  Each time you press "Continue" on the stats screen you'll play one "day" in the life of your city.
		   Be sure to review the objectives for advancing your city, and the results of your play after each "day."

2. Facilities: Select facilities to view the status of your waste processing facilities and to upgrade them if possible.
		   Selecting a facility will show you its current level, the benefits of upgrading, and the costs of upgrading.

3. Trade:      Selecting trade will take you to the market where you can buy and sell resources with other players of Backflow.
		   As a buyer, you can select from the available offers for the resource that you need.  When you execute an offer, the results will be immediately seen in your inventory.
		   As a seller, you can specify how much of a resource to sell, and how much of the other two resources you want in exchange.
		   When you submit an offer as a seller, the item you are selling will be deleted from your inventory and held in escrow.  
               You'll receive the resources in trade only if and when another player accepts your offer.
		   You can cancel an open offer and refund your resources by selecting your own offer in the buy menu, or by selecting "Your Open Offers."
		
4. Leaders:    Here you can see how your city measures up to other players of Backflow.
		   See who has the largest population, and who are the most successful resource salesmen.

5. Options:    Here is where you can delete your account from our servers forever, or reset it to start playing Backflow from the beginning.

6. Back: 	   To access the main menu or log in as a different player.


The Game Screen

The main single-player game screen provides all the tools you need to maximize the efficiency of your waste operation.

At the top of the screen, you'll see your city in profile.  The city profile gives you an at-a-glance indication of the size and health of the city.
As your city grows, you'll see buildings crop up everywhere.  As it becomes more polluted, you'll see the air get darker and darker.

Below the city is the maze of pipes that route the city's waste.  
Pipe switches are marked by an arrow and a number.  The arrow indicates which way waste will travel through the pipes.  The number indicates which number key to press to change the direction of the arrow.
You have recycling bins for Glass, Paper, and Metal, and a sewer to flush away Bio waste.
Near the bins are indicators that count up the amount of recyled materials you have captured, and that show the current upgrade level of the recycling facilities.
Upgrades to the recycling centers will generate more usable resources for each piece of waste.
The pollution meter tells you the current level of pollution.
Upgrades to pollution control will generate less pollution per error.

You may pause the game any time by pressing #.
To force the next item of waste to enter the stream, press *.

Thanks for playing!