･ Works on Mac Plus's running system 6.0.7 and PowerMac's running system 7.5 - it should run on anything!
･ Many little problems fixed (having walked through the NewsWatcher source code and done other bits of coding I'm now a much improved Macintosh Programmer! :-).
･ You might notice that the game window disappears sometimes without asking you whilst other times it does - there's rather twisted logic behind that - basically if there isn't a game of 500 in progress the window is free to go.
･ I've added an option or two to the preferences dialogﾉ
･ There are now three types of turn indicator (both Marching Ants and Electric Fire are new!)
･ You can now choose to use the original (boring) cards or the new deck which has 'real' picture cards! Note that you automagically get the old style of card if you have less than 4bit colour.
･ In addition to the picture cards there are also background textures (as with the built-in list of player's names 500 Cards dynamically senses how many textures their areﾉ). The fancy cards preference also controls the use of tectures.
･ By turning off the fancy cards and selecting the Question Mark turn indicator PowerBook users can get a clean white window background - hopefully making things a little clearer.
･ There's a new and exciting Player's List which can store details (Name, number of games & number of wins) for upto five players! This isn't so much a highscores table as a member's list - games and wins are accumulated for whichever player is selected.
･ I've also done a small reworking of the playing & bidding code making it function much better.
･ Plus - the buttons used on the game window are now real buttons, so Greg's Buttons can work with them!
･ If you still feel the computer players are too predictable have a look under the Network menuﾉ at some stage in the near (?!) future I'll have the network code going to back up that dialogﾉ
Game Instructions
I started writing 500 Cards as a programming exercise during one of the holidays I summered over at the University of Otago. Having now left Dunedin I've "completed" it as a way of replacing my flatmates - we didn't play nearly enough games of 500. It's a fairly standard implementation of four handed Five Hundred (if you don't know 500 but do know Bridge -> 500 is sorta, kinda, a simpler Contract Bridge, sorta, kinda); you and a computer partner versus an all computer partnership - the first side to score 500 wins (or -500 looses). If you're still unsure see the separate "500 Rules!" document.
Getting Started
Double click on the App and a new game will start automagically; volia - there's your card table, your hand (the row of ten cards displayed at the bottom of the window) and three other players! (your partner has the top card position).
At this point you might want to set your name! Choose Preferences from the Edit menu - it should all be pretty clear. You probably can't change the game level from the default 'Brave' to one of the other three options because the game is in the middle of the bidding phase! To change the level either close the game window and go into the Preferences or wait until the bidding is over!
Bidding
It's really simple - just click on any card of the suit you'd like to bid, the computer will ensure you bid the minimum legal number of tricks. If you want to bid higher just click on the same (or any other) suit. Clicking on the Joker is just like clicking on the "No Trumps" button. When you're happy with your bid click on the "Bid" button.
Note that if you have no picture cards there is a redeal button instead of the grayed-out bid button - picking a suit will cause the bid button to appear. (The computer players can also opt for redeals, but you probably won't notice them doing it).
Discarding
So you've won the bidding - now you get to see the kitty and swap about cards to your hearts content. How? Simple, just click on a card in your hand that you want to discard and then click on a card in the kitty that you'd like in your hand. Or you could do it the other way around! The button which 'finishes' discarding should be obvious.
Playing
Just as per standard 500! Whose standard? My not too specific standard! The only real hard and fast rule is that if possible all players must follow suit (in No Trumps the Joker is of no particular suit - hence you could end up being forced to play it last!). Tabled cards can't be taken back.
After each trick there is a slight pause so that you can see what every one else has played - you can click to end the pause!
You can start a new game at any time, though a warning dialog will appear if a game is in progress. A similar warning appears when you quit or close the game window.
And that's it!!!!!!
ﾉ
So just who am I playing?
Well, the "algorithm" the computer players use is a long and confused set of empirical rules I've developed by reflecting on how I play 500 - hopefully I have covered all the obvious things! All three computer players use exactly the same routines and (excluding bugs) they don't cheat (needless to say - they don't play brilliantly at the moment either! ;-). And yes, I count looking at the kitty as cheating.
But, where do the computer player names come from?
OK, The built in names are:
･ my orignal beta tester Lincoln (my brother)
･ and my original alpha tester Deborah (a workmate),
･ my wife Lynne (who's let me spend so much time on this that I actually finished!),
･ my parents (Jenifer & Allan),
･ my sister (Fiona),
･ our family cat (Scooby) and
･ my very old cardbuddies from high school (Craig & Chris (we were Good)),
･ my four old flatmates from University days: Big Phil, Lil Phil, Graeme & Paul
･ who (together with myself - Denis) are BFB : the Blackie Flat Boys!
Latest Features (newest -> oldest)
･ Heaps of changes! Generally did things in more Macintosh ways.
･ Added flasher graphcs: Picture cards and background textures!
･ Revamped the way the preferences were saved - the old way could corrupt.
･ Figured out the Movable Modal Dialog code (for network play).
･ Fixed up the playing code (again!).
･ Moved over to MetroWerks Code Warrior (Bronze) - awesome!
Things to be done soon
･Add network play support.
･Smarten up the computer players.
･Any (great) ideas suggested.
Things to be done later
･Make the computer play less mechanical (but not poorer!)
･Any (interesting) ideas suggested.
Things to be done much later (and/or for money?)
･Add misere to the game. This would require:
- (major) interface chances. (and possibly more screen)
- complete rewritting of the bidding, discarding and playing code. :-(
Den's PostCard Awards
･For being the first: Andrea Spurdle
･For the most appropriate: Donald Mackie for the 'The Joker'
･For pointing out the (1.0.2) interface was "good, but not 'classy'": Simon Fraser. (and for the excellent AD modules!)
Credit for Comments
･A whole heap of people from the net
STILL Reading?
This program was originally written in MacPascal on a Mac Plus. The modern version was written on a Classic and then a Colour Classic using firstly ThinkC 5.0.4 (after converting the Pascal using CTools) and now the most excellent MetroWerks Code Warrior (CW/5). The move to a real, event-driven Application was made possible by the purchase of that most excellent Mac D-I-Y programming book :- Macintosh Programming Secrets (2nd Ed), written by Scott Knaster and Keith Rollin (who's been really helpful over the Net whenever I've contacted(pestered) him (Thanks ;-)). Also of assistance were; NIM:OV, NIM:MTE, Symantec's Think Reference 2.0.1, lurking on COMP.SYS.MAC.PROGRAMMING and the Inside_Mac da. Too late to be of assistance for this release where the other (New) Inside Macintosh volumes Apple has now made available via ftp!
Nobody's said anything about the trick stuff in the About Box! :-(
New in version 1.4 is another little trick - you can get the computer to suggest a bid for you.
Until the end of 1995 (at least) I should be reachable on the InterNet via the address "D.Birnie@Regy.Canterbury.ac.NZ"
Denis, 1/3/95
PS - If you don't happen to have a very scenic hometown then consider this software to be Some- Place- I've- Lived- Thats- Nicer- Than- The- Hole- I- Was- Born- In- PostCard- Ware!!!
PPS - An interesting stamp would also be nice!
PPPS - A postcard would be nice! Anyone?
PPPPS - Sob story :- I have got two (2) postcards! Gee, it was all worth it.
PPPPPS - Money? Is $5 really too much to ask?
Distribution
･ 500 Cards is ｩ1994 Denis A. Birnie.
･ 500 Cards is ShareWare - it may be freely distributed provided it is not modified and the fact that 500 Cards is shareware is made clear. It may not be included in any commercial package without my being informed and consenting or receiving a free copy.
･ All online services and bulletin boards may make it available to their users at no charge other than the normal connection fees.
･ All non-profit user groups may distribute it at no charge.
･ All magazines may publish it on floppy disk without seeking my consent, as long as I receive a copy of the issue containing my software.
･ All CD-ROM shareware collections and CD-ROM magazines may include it without my prior consent, as long as I get either a copy of the CD-ROM (preferred) or an offer to buy the CD-ROM at a discounted price.
･ All redistribution companies such as Educorp may distribute it, as long as I get a copy of each media containing my software and a catalog of the companyﾕs offerings (where applicable).
･ I'd like to thankﾉ
･ NautilusCD magazine (really neat QT movie promos!) and
･ MacLife(Japan)
for the complimentry copies of their issues which included this game - you both doubled my CD collections!!! (You can both skip the next complimentry copy, if you like!)
･ Want to use 500 Cards 2.0 on your network gaming service later this year? Contact me.
Disclaimer
500 Cards shouldnﾕt cause any damage to your computer or your card playing abilities, however you are using it at your own risk. As an independent software developer, I can make no warranties whatsoever on it.
What Next?
Well, I've got a little Railway Simulation that will probably go nowhere. At the moment I'm toying with a networked wargameﾉ
