Frozen Fish 1: Amiga/FrozenFish-Apr94.iso/bbs/alib/d2xx/d260/calculation.lha/Calculation/Calculation Rules

Text File | 1989-10-19 | 10.1 KB | 230 lines

Calculation

Introduction
    Last week you broke into the National Defense
Computer Network.  This week you're putting the finishing
touches on your new revolutionary AI system.  Isn't it
time you took a break?  Play Calculation, the mindless
game for people with minds.  Solitaire like you always
wished it could be.
    This is a demo of Calculation.  It's a working
version of Calculation that only plays two different
games.  Try it out, give it to your friends, this demo is
freely distributable.  If you like it, send your address
and $15 to UnSane Creations and we'll rush you
Calculation.
    This readme file is provided to supplement the
online help.  It contains a detailed description of the
standard rules and their variations.  Also included is a
section of hints for beginning Calculation players called
The Advice Column.  And of course, what readme file
wouldn't be complete without the current UnSane Creations
rumors.

Standard Rules
    For those of you experienced at playing different
solitaire games, here is a quick summary of the rules:
The object of the game is stack the cards into four
ordered stacks, one that counts by one, one by two, one by
three, and one by four.  The sequence for each stack looks
like the following:
    Stack 1 = A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K
    Stack 2 = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Q, A, 3, 5, 7, 9, J, K
    Stack 3 = 3, 6, 9, Q, 2, 5, 8, J, A, 4, 7, 10, K
    Stack 4 = 4, 8, Q, 3, 7, J, 2, 6, 10, A, 5, 9, K

Cards are dealt one at a time.  A dealt card can either go
on one of the stacks, if it fits, or on the top of one of
the four discard piles.  Only the top card of each of the
discard piles can be moved to the stacks.  For a more
detailed explanation, read on.
    The playing field is divided into four areas.  The
four stacks, the four discard piles, the card-in-play, and
the undealt portion of the deck.  The undealt cards are
off to either side.  When a card is newly dealt, it can
either go on a stack or a discard pile.  Once it is moved
to a stack or discard pile another card is automatically
dealt from the deck until all the cards are dealt.  The
four stacks are at the top middle of the screen and the
four discard piles are underneath.  The card-in- play is
between the stacks and the discard piles, symbolic of the
choice you must soon make.
    As cards are dealt, you must put them either on
the stacks or the discard piles.  Cards can only be put on
the stacks if they are in the proper order.  This means
that at any one time only four different cards can go up
to the stacks.  For example, if the first stack which
counts by one were to have a three showing, the only card
that could go on that stack would be a four.  Until you
placed a four on that stack no other card could go there.
And if a card can't fit on any of the four stacks, you
must put it on one of the four discard piles.  Let's say
that the computer deals you a five.  Let's ignore the
other stacks for a moment.  Since you don't have a four
and that's what the first stack needs, you can't put it on
a stack.  You put the five on a discard pile.  The
computer deals you a seven next.  You can either put the
seven on the five, in which case you won't be able to
access the five until you moved the seven since only the
top card of each discard pile can be moved up to the
stacks, or you could put it on another discard pile.
Since you anticipate getting a four and moving the five up
to the stacks, you put the seven on another pile.  Suppose
the computer deals you a four.  You can now put the four
on the first stack.  The next card the stack needs is a
five, which just happens to be at the top of one of the
discard piles, so you can now put it on the four.  The
strategy this game is organizing the discard piles so you
can stack the different stacks sequentially.

Variations
    Calculation allows you to change its rules, giving
you a total of two hundred fifty-six different variations.
 You can change Calculation's rules by selecting Change
Rules under the Edit menu.  When you do, you see the
following options:

        Number of discard piles:  3  4  5  6

        Only top discard visible
        All discards visible

        Cards cannot be moved among discards
        Cards may be moved to empty discards

        Cards go on same color
        Cards go on any suit

        Undealt cards not visible
        Undealt cards visible

        Discard piles start empty
        Kings start on discard piles

        Stacks start empty
        Stacks start with A, 2, 3, 4

The italicized options are the rules used in standard
play.  You can vary the game's difficulty by changing
these options, making Calculation challenging for anyone,
from the youngest novice to the oldest master.
    The first set of options determines the number of
discard piles.  It is possible to have three, four, five,
or six discard piles, although in standard play there are
only four.
    The second set of options affects the discard
piles themselves.  In a standard Calculation game you can
only see the top card of the discard piles.  But for those
of us with poor memories who are too lazy to keep track of
the discard piles on a separate piece of paper, there is
this option.  It makes every card on the discard piles
visible.  It is still only possible to move the top card
of a discard pile, but now you can see what lies
underneath.
    The third set controls movement among discard
piles.  Normally once you place a card on a discard pile,
it stays on that discard pile until you move it up to a
stack or lose the game.  But by changing this option, you
can move a card from one discard pile onto another empty
discard pile.
    The fourth set restricts what cards can be placed
on the stacks.  Normally the only restriction on what
cards can go to the stacks is numerical.  In other words,
if the card is a four and stack two needs a four, it fits.
 But there can be a further restriction.  You can force it
so that cards must also be the same color.  In other
words, two stacks would accept only hearts and diamonds
and the other two only clubs and spades.
    The fifth set affects undealt cards.  Normally,
the undealt cards are off to the side out of the way,
effectively decoration.  But this option allows you to see
the undealt cards.  You can know what card will be dealt
before it's dealt.
    The six set determines how the discard piles start
in the beginning of a game.  Usually they start empty, but
they can start with the Kings on them.
    And finally, the seventh set of options similarly
determine how the stacks start in the beginning of the
game.  Normally they start with the first card already on
them, i.e. from left to right, the ace, two, three, and
four respectively.  But this option allows you to begin
the game with empty stacks.

The Advice Column
    1.  Don't start with the standard rules.  Start
simply and make Calculation fun as well as challenging.
Some good rules to change are 'number of discard piles:
6', 'all discards visible', and 'kings start on discard
piles.'  If the game is still too hard, change a few more
rules.  The point is to learn to play Calculation without
getting frustrated.  After all, aren't games supposed to
be fun?
    2.  Keep a card by your side of the following:
   A  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10 | J  | Q  | K
   2  | 4  | 6  | 8  | 10 | Q  | A  | 3  | 5  | 7  | 9  | J  | K
   3  | 6  | 9  | Q  | 2  | 5  | 8  | J  | A  | 4  | 7  | 10 | K
   4  | 8  | Q  | 3  | 7  | J  | 2  | 6  | 10 | A  | 5  | 9  | K

If you are too lazy to make a card, hit the help key.
    3.  Leave one discard pile free to accept kings.
Don't put any other cards on this pile until you have all
four kings there.  Kings are the last card to be put on
each of the stacks, which means that any cards under a
king are effectively useless until the end of the game.
If you happen to need those cards to win you're out of
luck.  The quickest way to insure you'll never win a game
is to put a king or two on a card that you need.
    4.  Always work first from the discard piles.  If
the computer deals you a card you need, first check the
discard piles.  If the card you need is also on a discard
pile use it.  This way you free the card underneath.  You
might find that you need that one also.  If you don't need
it you can always place the newly dealt card on top and
return things to way they were before.
    5.  Try to build sequences in the discard piles.
For example, place the four on the five and the three on
the four.  Then when you need the three for the first
stack, you also get the four and the five.  But remember,
don't build sequences you will never use.  Don't put the
three and four on the five if the first stack is already
up to the seven.
    6.  Try not to cover cards you will be using soon.
 If you will be using the queen soon, try to keep it at
the top of a discard pile.  If you cover it, you won't be
able to get to it, and getting to it quickly may force you
to cover other cards you need.
    7.  Don't make impossible sequences.  Don't put a
queen on the only remaining jack in the game or all the
kings on a four.  It only takes one impossible sequence
will lose the game.
    8.  Use Undo.  Use it when you're in trouble.  Use
it when you make a mistake.  But use it, even if you have
to Undo to the start of a game.  Undoing is not cheating.
You can always Redo an undone move.
    9.  If, in time, Calculation becomes too easy,
make it harder.  The ability to change Calculation's rules
not only provides you with the means to make Calculation
easier, but it also allows you to make it harder.
Calculation can be made trivially easy or virtually
impossible.  It's up to you.
    10.  Like many other prominent psychologists,
astrologists, and Advice Columnists, I may not have the
slightest idea what I am talking about.  Use your own
judgement.

Rumors
    Steve, Calculation's programmer, unlike the rest
of the human race which has descended from the ape, has
descended from a rabbit-like creature.  Proof of this fact
comes from his cats, Jekyll and Clyde, which have often
been known to eye him like the main course of a succulent
dinner, and all the hair balls he leaves about the place.
If you wish to speak to Steve, about Calculation, his
ancestry, or anything else for that matter, feel free to
contact him at [phone] or write to him c/o:

                UnSane Creations
                815 Windingpath Lane
                Manchester, MO 63021