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3. Game
Configuration |
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To open the 'Game
Configuration' window, you have to press the Cfg
button of the menu bar (see topic 2.1)
and then the Game button of
the configuration menu, or directly press the F2
key. This window is only
accessible if you're not playing a game.
In the next topics you'll find the explanation of all the game
configuration features. |
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3.1 Game Modes |
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The Figure 22 shows
the portion of the 'Game Configuration' window that allows you
to choose the game mode:
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Figure
22 : Game Modes
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The rest of the features of the
Game Cfg Window, such as Game Files or Limitations,
will be enabled or not depending on the game mode selected
here, because each mode has its own options (some are shared). These
modes and their options are detailed
here:
3.1.1 Single Game
Your
objective in this game mode is only try to solve the
puzzle. If you can do that, you'll be able to achieve a
position in the 'Fastest Times' or 'Fewest Moves' Records
of the Board or Puzzle selected.
To play a single game, you can choose five things :
1. A board, that is, information about the 'Board
Zone' and the location of the 'Flow
Elements'.
2. An IP (Initial Pattern).
3. An OP (Objective Pattern).
4. A Time Limit.
5. A Moves Limit.
But only two main combinations are possible :
a) Take the 'Board Information' and OP from a board file,
use a randomly scrambled IP, and no Limitations, or
b) Take the 'Board Information' from a board file, and the
rest from a puzzle file.
To learn how to choose any combination, read the next topics
with more
details about game files, patterns,
and limitations.
3.1.2 Against Computer
The game against the computer is played in turns, not simultaneously.
In this game mode you not only have to solve the puzzle, you
also have to beat the computer score. In this case, to
achieve a position in the Top 10
Scores, is used the difference
between both scores.
The features of this game mode deserve a special treatment.
Read the topic 3.5 for full details.
3.1.3 Campaign Mode
As
mentioned before, a campaign game is an ordered collection
of Puzzle Files played successively.
Each puzzle of the campaign (called 'levels') have their
own time and/or move limitations. When you can't solve any
of these levels the campaign is interrupted and considered
not completed. If you solve all the levels is considered
completed and this gives you the possibility to achieve a
position in the Top 10 Scores
of that campaign, using the total time and moves
performed.
The only thing that you can choose if this game mode is
selected, is the Campaign File to use.
The rest of the features of the 'Game Configuration'
window will be disabled.
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3.2 Game Files |
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The Figure 23 shows
the portion of the 'Game Configuration' window that allows you
to choose the game files:
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![](images/figures/fig023.gif)
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Figure 23 :
Game Files
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As you can see,
Tilerama manages three different kinds of files, described
below. At the right of the 'Game Files' combos, is always
shown a preview of the board selected. If a Puzzle File
is selected, the preview image shows the IP
of that puzzle. If there's no Puzzle File Selected, the
preview image shows the OP of the Board
File.
3.2.1 Board Files
These
files (with extension .BRD) are located in the
'Boards' folder of the installation directory of Tilerama.
They are the most important files of the game, because
they have the minimum necessary information to play. Board
files contain:
The function of board files
is to provide the vital 'Board Information' for all the game
modes. Also, they have a pattern that is used as OP when no
Puzzle File is selected. They can be used to play single
games (as described in the previous topic)
alone, or against computer.
3.2.2 Puzzle Files
These
files (with extension .PZZ) are located in the
'Puzzles' folder of the installation directory of Tilerama.
Puzzle files contain:
These files doesn't have
'Board Information', so they need a specific Board File to
be used. When you choose a puzzle file in the corresponding
'puzzle' combo, the board file needed is auto-selected in
the 'board' combo. If this board file needed doesn't exists,
an error message will appear.
The function of puzzle files is to provide different IP's
and OP's for the same board files, and suggest a number of
moves and time to solve them. They can be used to play
single games (as described in the previous
topic) and also as 'levels' for the Campaign Files.
3.2.3 Campaign
Files
These
files (with extension .CPN) are located in the 'Campaigns' folder of the installation directory of Tilerama.
They are simpler than the other game files; they only
contain:
- The list of levels
(Puzzle Files) to play.
- Additional information
about the campaign's name and author.
- Its own Top 10 Scores
list.
These files need all the
Puzzle Files listed to be used. If any of these Puzzle
Files doesn't exists, an error message will appear.
The only function of campaign files is to provide the list
of puzzles to play, so they can be selected only when the
'Campaign Mode' has been chosen.
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3.3 IP and OP |
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To play any game in
Tilerama, you need a starting or initial pattern (IP) and an
objective pattern (OP). The Figure 24 shows
the portion of the 'Game Configuration' window that allows you
to choose these patterns:
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![](images/figures/fig024.gif)
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Figure 24 :
Initial and Objective Patterns |
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You can choose to
use a randomized IP or the IP provided by a Puzzle
File. In the case of the OP, this can be taken from the
puzzle or the Board File.
But the possibility to choose any IP or OP only exists if the
'Single Game' mode is selected, because in a game 'Against
Computer' you can't use puzzle files, so only Random IP and OP
from board can be used, and in a 'Campaign' game you only use
puzzle files, so only can be used the IP and OP from these
files.
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3.4 Time and
Moves Limit |
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The Puzzle
Files may provide a suggested number of moves and time to
solve the given puzzle. You can use this suggestions to force
the abortion of the game once reached any of the limitations,
making it even harder. The Figure
25 shows
the portion of the 'Game Configuration' window that allows you
to choose these limitations:
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![](images/figures/fig025.gif)
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Figure 25 : Time
and Moves Limit
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Similar to the IP
and OP selection, this can be done only if
there is a Puzzle File selected. In a Game Against Computer, you
can choose only Board Files, so these limits can't be used (read
the next topic for more details).
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3.5 Game Against Computer |
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As said in the topic
3.1, you can play against the computer
taking turns. After both players have been played and solved
(or not) the puzzle, their scores will be compared to
determine the winner in two categories : 'Fastest Time' and
'Fewest Moves'. The difference between scores is used in
the Top 10 Scores of the
corresponding Board.
Only Board Files can be used
in this game mode, so the Patterns and Limitations
of Puzzle Files will be avoided. Note that
both human and computer use the same board and OP, but the IP
is randomized always before a game, so it won't be the same
for both players.
The Figure
26 shows
the portion of the 'Game Configuration' window that allows you
to set the options of a game against computer:
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![](images/figures/fig026.gif)
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Figure 26 :
'Game Against Computer' Options
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3.5.1
Computer Speed and Accuracy
As you can see in the Figure 26, you can set the speed and the
precision (or accuracy) of the computer. There are three
levels of speed : slow, medium or fast, and also three levels
of accuracy : poor, medium or high. The total time needed by
the computer to solve the puzzle will be directly influenced
by the speed level. On the other hand, the total number of
moves needed will be directly influenced by the level of
accuracy selected. A 'high' level of accuracy doesn't mean
that the computer will solve the puzzle without useless moves
.. read the topic 3.5.3 for more details
about computer's behavior.
3.5.2 Turns - Using Opponent Score as
Limitation
You can also set who plays first, selecting or not the 'Human
Plays First' checkbox.
As said before, the time or moves limitations of a puzzle file
can't be used, but you can still use the score of the first
player (Human or Computer) as a limitation for the second
player, in which case the turn isn't irrelevant. This
limitations can be selected individually by the corresponding
checkboxes : 'Use Opp. Time as Time Limit' and 'Use Opp. Moves
as Moves Limit'. If both limitations have been selected, a
third option will be available : 'Use Time AND Moves
Limit' or 'Use Time OR Moves Limit'. In the first case,
both time and moves counters of the second player must be
higher than the score of the first player to stop the game. In
the second case, when any of the counters reaches the score of
the first player, the game is stopped.
When the game of the second player is stopped because of the
limitations, the winner in both categories is the first player
and the score differences aren't calculated, avoiding the
possibility of Records.
3.5.3 About Computer Behavior ..
If you test the computer behavior in all the boards you'll
find that it seems to be smart in the hard puzzles, but stupid
in the easy ones. This is because the algorithm that solves
the puzzle (and controls computer's movements) is too methodic
: the minimum number of moves needed by the computer to solve
a puzzle depends on the number of tiles, not on the puzzle's
difficulty.
In this version of Tilerama I've decided to prevail computer's
effectiveness, not its intelligence, so even in the 'high'
level of accuracy it may produce useless movements, but it
will always solve the puzzle. In future versions this
algorithm will be improved, including some serious A.I.. By the
moment, use this game mode just for fun (or to have some time
or moves limitations in boards with random IP), but
don't take computer's solutions as an example of good gaming.
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