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^Cby Todd Lewis

 FourSide is a challenging variation on the popular dominoes theme.  The game 
 is comprised of placing four-sided game pieces, each side containing a number, 
 on the game board in such a manner that all surfaces the new piece contacts 
 contain a matching number for that surface.  The more surfaces a new piece 
 touches, the more score you receive!
                 
^CTHE FOURSIDE MENUS
^C------------------
 
 There are two menus in FourSides. The first one, the GAME PLAY Menu,
 appears after the title screen. This menu offers you several options:

     + playing another player,
     + playing your computer,
     + watching a demo of play,
       or
     + quitting the program.

 The option currently active is highlighted by a bar which can be moved
 with the UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys. To select an option, highlight it first
 then press ENTER.
 
 After selecting an option on the first menu, the LEVEL OF PLAY Menu appears.  
 Selection of an option on this menu requires highlighting and pressing ENTER,
 just as on the Game Play Menu. The Level of Play Menu allows you to set the
 difficulty of play or to quit the game. 

 Difficulty affects block complexity, i.e., the diversity of values a block 
 side can have. For example, the BEGINNER level has blocks with sides having
 values 1, 2, or 3, while the EXPERT level blocks have values ranging from 
 1 to 9.  The higher the range, the harder it is to make a valid move. If you 
 are playing the computer, the level of difficulty also affects the computer's 
 playing skill, so beware! Your computer will become craftier and craftier as
 the game progresses. 

 
^CBEGINNING PLAY
^C--------------
 
 After you select the level of difficulty, the FourSides game screen appears. 
 It has two distinctly-separate sections, the red STATUS area on the right
 the blue BOARD area on the left. The STATUS area is used to display scores
 and to manipulate blocks in your hand. The BOARD area is used for making
 all your moves. A player's hand consists of five blocks which can be used
 to make these moves. 

 The blank line appearing at the top of the screen at the beginning of a game 
 is used during the game for the display of prompt messages. At the bottom of 
 the screen, special key functions are displayed. These keys are "special"
 because they function uniquely and differently from their normal key

 The special keys and their functions are:
 
        F1 -- Gives the current player a HINT by indicating a possible move.
              A hint is not necessarily the best move, so save your three
              allowable hints for when they are most needed.

        F2 -- Toggles the SOUND ON/OFF. When the sound toggle is ON, a visual 
              musical note will appear at the bottom of the screen.

 ESC or F8 -- Allows you to quit or leave the program. 

     SPACE -- Toggles between the BOARD and STATUS areas. 
 
 Before play actually begins, the player to move first is selected and high- 
 lighted in the STATUS area, and a block is placed in the center of the BOARD  
 area. This block is the "primer block" because all subsequent moves stem
 from it. The green and red areas appearing on the BOARD are BONUS and MINUS
 areas which affect the scoring of each move made in these areas.


^CACTUAL PLAY   
^C-----------
 
 Actual FourSides play occurs on the BOARD or in the STATUS areas. The SPACE 
 key toggles between these two areas. When a cursor is visible in the BOARD 
 area, play is occurring there. When no cursor is visible, play is occurring 
 in the STATUS area. 
 
 THE STATUS AREA --- In this area are displayed players' scores as well as
 the current player's hand. Each player must formulate a move using one of 
 these blocks. The current block, indicated by a double-arrow highlighter 
 pointer, can be rotated to fit an area on the BOARD with the ENTER key.
 The LEFT- and RIGHT-ARROW keys move the blocks in the hand. After a block
 has been chosen and properly rotated, a player can attempt a move on the
 BOARD. 
 
 THE BOARD AREA -- In this area, players' moves are made by moving the cursor 
 with the ARROW keys to the desired area of the BOARD and by then pressing 
 the ENTER key. A move is valid only if it is made in an area where a move   
 has not yet been made and where the contacted sides of adjacent blocks 
 have matching values. The block used for a move is the one in the STATUS   
 area highlighted by the double-arrow.

 If a move is successful, the block is moved from the player's hand to the 
 board. If the move is not successful, a low tone will sound, and a new move 
 must be attempted. A valid move is always possible because the computer 
 checks before allowing a player to attempt a move. If a player cannot move, 
 the computer automatically forfeits that turn. 

 
^CVALID MOVES IN FOURSIDES
^C------------------------
 
 A valid move must meet these requirements:

    1 -- No previous move must have been made to the position.
    2 -- Contact must be made with at least one block already on the board.
    3 -- All touching sides of the blocks in the resulting contact(s) must
         have identical values.


^CSCORING     
^C-------
 
 A valid move awards the total of the VALUES of all touching sides TIMES the 
 NUMBER of touching sides. For example...

 A block making contact on three sides with values 8, 1, and 3 would score 
 36 points, i.e., (8 + 1 + 3) x 3 = 36. 
 
 In addition, if the move is made in a BONUS area, 20 extra points are 
 awarded. If the move is made in a MINUS area, 20 points are deducted. 
 (NOTE: A player's score will never fall below zero -- even when repeated 
 deductions  are made.)

 
^CTHE END OF A GAME
^C-----------------
 
 Play ends when all BOARD areas have been used, or when no valid moves exist 
 for either player. A FINAL SCORE Menu appears and indicates the winner(s).  
 After the FINAL SCORE Menu, a PLAY AGAIN Menu appears to allow the user(s) 
 to play again or exit the program. 
 

^CSPECIAL NOTE!
^C-------------

 At the EXPERT level, your computer is extremely good! Rest assured that
 this level of play is NOT achieved through any type of "cheating," such 
 such as the manufacturing of blocks to fit particular moves. The computer 
 merely checks all the possibilities before moving. Its skill comes from hard 
 work and not foul play! 


DISK FILES USED BY FOURSIDES:
^FFOURSIDE.EXE