Twin Feats software is the collaboration of efforts of twin coders Kent & Kevin Smotherman based in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Both started on Commodore 64 computers back in the good old days, moved on to Amiga computers during their heyday, and now make their living toiling away as corporate coders for a subscriber management services company.
WordBox is the Psion Series 5 version of the program by the same name for the Palm Pilot. The pilot version was coded by Kent, and this version was coded from scratch by Kevin, incorporating ideas from Kent's version.
Both play WordBox on a daily basis with fellow 'bog heads' at their place of employment, where bragging rights over supremacy are the norm.
We both hope you enjoy playing WordBox as much as we do.
Bog-On, dudes!
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This display shows the words found by each player in the last played game. Each player's words are shown in a separate list box. Each line in the list boxes shows the word, the score for the word, and the first initial of each other player who also found the word. The sequence of these initials mirrors the order of the listboxes on the display.
The title bar of each list box shows the player name and the All word/Unique word scores. The sequence of the iist boxes is the same as the finish order of the players accoring to their scores and the scoring options active for the game.
ed as well.
WordBox is based on the classic find-the-word game Boggle from Parker Brothers. WordBox is played using a 5x5 grid of letters. Each letter on the grid is derived from one of 25 6-sided letter die. Each die is randomly positioned on the grid, and then a random side for each is selected and displayed face-up on the grid.
The player then attempts to find as many words as possible within the grid, such that each consecutive letter in the formed word is constructed from serially adjacent letters in the grid, and no letter from the grid is used more than once per word. Also, the minimum word length is 4 letters.
Consider for example the following grid:
A N T S I
O R U L T
O B D E A
H K E P S
I R N E S
In this grid, all of the following are valid words: BOOK, RULES, and SEATS. These words, however, are not valid for the reasons listed: STUBBED ('B' is used twice) and SLEPT ('P' and 'T' are not adjacent).
Note that in the above puzzle, the word KEEPS can actually be formed 4 different ways. Even so, any individual word can only be played once per game.
Now, what kind of game would it be if you didn't keep score? Points in WordBox are earned based on the number and length of words found. There are three different scoring methods you can use in WordBox. In Linear scoring, 4 letter words are worth 1 point, 5 letter words worth 2, 6 letter words worth 3, 7 letter words worth 5, and 8 or more letter words are worth 8 points.
In Fibonacci scoring, words are worth the same as they are in Linear scoring up to 8 letter words. After that, words are worth the sum of the previous two scoring values. So, 9 letter words are worth 11 , 10 letter words worth 19, 11 letter words worth 30, and so forth.
In Exponential scoring, each word scores a number of points equal to 2 raised to the power of 4 less than the word length. So, 4 letters score 1 point, 5 scores 2, 6 scores 4, 7 scores 8, 8 scores 16, and so forth.
As a strategic point, Linear scoring favors masses of words 8 letters or less in length. Fibonacci and Exponental favor words of maximum length, as they score high point totals for individual long-length words.
Hi score always wins, but there is one more twist to scoring: unique words. Normally, all words score points, and if 2 or more players have the same word, they each score points for that word. In Unique scoring, each player only scores points for the words they find that NO ONE
else finds. If there are 6 players, and only 2 players find a particular word, noone scores points for that word. Unique scoring can be enabled for any of the three scoring methods outlined above, and adds an interesting twist to the outcome of a game, especially when 4 or more players are involved.
In WordBox, up to 6 players my compete in each game.
This display allows the user to view the top 20 players in each of 90 different score groups. These are:
Each of these score groups are repeated for 1 minute through 5 minutes:
All words/Linear scoring
All words/Fibonacci scoring
All words/Exponential scoring
Each of these score groups are repeated for 1 minute through 5 minute timing, and 2 to 6 players within each time group:
Unique words/Linear scoring
Unique words/Fibonacci scoring
Unique words/Exponential scoring
Initially the display will show the grouping that includes the options (scoring, uniqueness, time limit, and number of players) for the last played game, or the last viewed high score grouping, whichever was most recent.
Buttons along the top of the display control which score grouping is currently displayed, and are divided into 3 groupings. The depressed button in each of these 3 groupings show which display is active. Note that the right most grouping of buttons, allowing selection of Linear, Fibonacci, or exponential scoring is not displayed unless the Unique button is also depressed.
The individual high score entries consist of the score, the player's name, and the date the score was obtained. Rankings not yet a
achieved will display as blank lines.
This display is the initial display immediately following the completion of a game. It shows the puzzle from the game, as well as the player names and scores. The sequence of these names and scores is the finishing order of the players based on their scores and the scoring options.
When WordBox first loads, the standard Psion toolbar located on the right side of the screen contains the following 4 buttons:
New Game - This button starts a new game by bringing up a series of requesters that define the new game. See 'New Game Options'.
High Scores - This button takes you to the high scores display. See 'High Scores Display'.
Words - This button takes you to the word displays for all players for the last game played.
Scores - This button take you to the scores display, which shows the puzzle grid plus the player scores for the last game played.
From the Pause screen, when the 'Cancel Player' toolbar button is selected, a dialog with the following 4 options is presented:
Remove player from the Game
This option completely removes the current player from the game, as if they had never been selected for the game in the first place.
Skip over current player
Similar to the Remove option, this selection removes the current player from the game, but leaves their name and current score intact. They will still appear in the Score and Words displays after the game, and remain eligible for high scores, albeit only with their current score.
Move player to last up
This option leaves he player with their current score and remaining time, but moves them in the player rotation to the last slot. When their new turn comes up, they will continue their game from where they left off.
Quit the current game
This option effectively cancels the current game. Although the Scores and Words displays will still function after the game is cancelled (with information that is current as of when the game is cancelled), no player is eligible to set a high score.
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
This dialog is available via the menu or the keyboard shortcut Shift+Ctrl+S.
This dialog allows for the selection of sound files to be play for each of 7 different WordBox events. These events, along with their default values are as follows:
Bad Word (C:\System\Apps\WordBox\Dwop.snd)
This sound is played whenever the player enters an invalid word, which could either be a word which fails spell check or a word that is not formable in the puzzle.
Word Too Short
(C:\System\Apps\WordBox\Click.snd)
This sound is played whenever the player enters a word that is less than 4 letters long.
Duplicate Word
(C:\System\Apps\WordBox\Twang.snd)
This sound is played whenever the player enters a word that they have previously entered and for which they have already received points.
(C:\System\Apps\WordBox\Tot.snd)
This sound is played if the just entered word fails the spell check and qualifies the player for 'Tot' status. A tot is a player who has entered at least 5 such words, and whose bad word count exceeds their good word count.
SuperTot
(C:\System\Apps\WordBox\SuperTot.snd)
This sound is played if the just entered word fails the spell check and qualifies the player for 'SuperTot' status. A supertot is a player who has entered at least 10 such words, and whose bad word count exceeds their good word count by a ratio of at least 2 to 1.
GameOver
(C:\System\Apps\WordBox\GameOver.snd)
This sound is played upon completion of a game.
Made HiScore
(Z:\System\Alarms\Fanfare.snd)
This sound is played if any player in the just completed game has achieved a hi score.
Notes
To select a new sound file, click within the box containing the current setting, and a dialog will appear allowing you to make your selection. The ROM is available as drive Z:, as are all System folders.
While actively playing a game, the toolbar contains only 3 buttons: Pause and Rotate, and Opts.
Pause halts the current game (after hiding the puzzle!) and brings up the Paused toolbar (see 'Paused Options').
Rotate rotates the puzzle 90
in a clockwise direction. Sometimes if you are having difficulty finding words, rotating the board to different configurations can help to jar some words loose!
Prefs brings up the Preferences dialog where you can set various values that affect the display of a game or the volume of the sound effects (see Prefs dialog).
Enter Word is present only when the Cube Select Method option is set to TAP Select. This button completes, scores, and clears the current word.
Stop Game is present only for Unlimited Time games. This button ends the current players' game and continues with the next player if any.
When a game is paused, the toolbar changes to allow 3 options: Unpause, Cancel (Player), and Opts.
Unpause unpauses the game and resumes play.
Start Game is present in place of the 'Unpause' toolbar button when each player initiallly starts their game. It is functionally equivilant to Unpause.
Cancel Player allows you to remove the current player from the game, skip over the current player, move the current player to last up, or quit the game outright. See 'Cancel Player Options'
Prefs brings up the Preferences dialog where various settings which affect the display and sounds may be altered (see Prefs Dialog).
Thanks for using WordBox from Twin Feats Software and Kevin G. Smotherman. Every effort has been made to release this version as bug free as possible, but as is inevitable in any program that exceeds 3 lines of code, some bugs probably remain.
In the event that you suffer an error while using WordBox, please report the error and the circumstances causing the error to:
Kevin G. Smotherman
kevins@phonet.com
Your input (and suggestions!) will allow us to continuously improve and expand WordBox, and are greatly appreciated as well.
WordBox - including all related program files - may not be altered in any way. Reverse Translation is expressly forbidden without written permission of the author.
WordBox if FreeWare! Pass it around to everyone you know and enjoy!
Twin Feats Software & the author cannot & does not accept any liability for loss caused by error, defect or failure of the software including any loss of any kind.
No guarantee is either offered or implied by Twin Feats Software or the author. Use of this software is entirely at your own risk.
Ctrl shortcuts
a Add a player to the roster
c Cancel current player
d Delete a player from the roster
e Exit WordBox
h Show HiScores
i QuickHelp
l List player roster
n Start a New Game
p Preferences dialog
p Pause current game
q Quit current game
r Rotate puzzle grid
s Show scores from last game
u Unpause current game
w Show words from last game
Shift + Ctrl shortcuts
H Help database
S Sound file settings
A Show 'About' dialog
Notes
Some of the shortcuts shown above are active ony during those times appropriate for the indicated action. For example, Pausing the game is only possible if a game is in progress.
Some dialogs have shortcuts which are only active while that dialog is active, and those shortcuts should appear on the dialog. 'Esc' always cancels a dialog, and 'Enter' always completes a dialog.
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Volume allows the player to set the volume of all sound effects. There are 4 possibilities: OFF, Quiet, Moderate, and Loud.
Cube Style allows for the selection of different cube displays. There are 2 settings: Bold Flat, which produces simple 3D cubes 30x30 pixels in size, and Thin Highlighted, which produces 'fancier' 3D cubes 32x32 pixels in size with darker faces and slight letter highlighting.
Cube Spacing allows for the setting of the empty space gutters that separate the letter cubes. You may find that larger values make it more difficult to inadvertantly select a diagonal cube when using the pen and selecting letters diagonally. You may select from NONE
to 10 pixel spacing.
Cube Select Method allows the current player to set how letter cubes are selected during a game when using the pen. DRAG Select allows for selection of letters by tapping down on the first letter, dragging across all other letters, then entering the word by lifting the pen. TAP
Select allows for selection of letters by individually tapping each of them, then entering the word with the 'Enter Word' toolbar button.
Pen Sensitivity allowN
s the current player to set the letter cube hit region to the desired radius value. Note that this also changes the sensitivity setting for all remaining players, unless they also use this option to set it to their liking. Possible values range from 10 to one half the cube size.
Cube Select Region allows the user to select how pen events are interpretted in relation to the Pen Sensitivity setting. 'Circular' means that the sensitivity setting is interpretted as a radius value from the center of the cube. 'Square' means it is interpretted as a delta-x, delta-y distance from the center of the cube. In sort, circular contains fewer pixels than square for identical sensitivity values.
Player is allows the current player to change from left to right handed or vice versa to suit themselves. Changing this setting only affects the current player, and this option appears on the dialog only during a game.
NOTE - Cube Select Method, Cube Select Region, and Pen Sensitivity are reflected in the graphic underneath the score box during play. The black box outline represents a letter cube, the shape of the enclosed gray area represents the Cube Select Region, and the size of the enclosed gray area represent the Pen Sensitivity. In the lower left hand corner of the cube outline is a D or T representing the Cube Select Method (D=Drag. T=Tap).
When a new game is started, the user is presented with a series of dialog box that allows the setting of the game options and the selection of the players. If any of these dialogs are canceled, then the entire game is canceled.
The first of these dialogs specifies the game parameters:
Time Limit
How long each player gets to find words. Selectable from 1 to 5 minutes.
Scoring Method
Linear, Fibonacci, or Exponential. These score points for words of different length as follows (L=Linear, F=Fibonacci, E=Exponential):
Length L F E
4 1 1 1
5 2 2 2
6 3 3 4
7 5 5 8
8 8 8 16
9 8 13 32
10 8 21 64
11 8 34 128
12 ... ... ...
Unique Method
All Words or Unique Only. If 'All Words' is selected, then each player scores points for all words they find. If 'Unique Only' is selected, then each player only scores points for the words they find that noone else finds, even if just 1 other player finds the words.
Number of players
Select the number off competitors, from 1 to 6.
AutoAccept button
The middle button on the first NewGame dialog is AutoAccept. Terminating the dialog by selecting this option skips the remaining NewGame dialogs and defaults their settings to those used for the preceding game. If this defaulting action would cause the same player to be entered into the game, then the action is aborted and the second dialog will appear.
The second dialog allows for the selection or creation of players for the game. WordBox remembers up to 100 players, and previously created players will appear in each choice box. On this dialog, for the number of players selected on the preceding dialog a separate choice box is present allowing for the selection of that player. Player 1 goes first, Player 2 next and so forth. To create a new player, select the 'New Player' button and enter the player's name on the ensuing dialog box.
The third and last dialog allows for the setting of the 'handedness' of each player. If right is selected, then the grid of letter cubes is placed on the right side of the display, if left is selected it is on the left. This makes it a bit easier for players to use the pen. Note that each player may change their handedness while playing by first pausing the game, and then changing the Handed setting in the Options dialog by selecting the Options button on the Paused or in-game toolbars.
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This help file gives an outline of some of WordBox's main features. If you require further help you can contact support via any of the following:
Email
kevins@phonet.com
WordBox is Copyright
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
All rights reserved.
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
WordBox version 1.1
19 Jun 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Denise Pope
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
Welcome to WordBox!M
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Software Support
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
XPDR%
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
WordBox version 1.1
19 Jun 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Denise Pope
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
Welcome to WordBox!m
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Internet: www.tconl.com/~kents
Software Support
This help file gives an outline of some of WordBox's main features. If you require further help you can contact support via any of the following:
Email
kevins@phonet.com
Internet
www.tconl.com/~kents
WordBox is Copyright
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
All rights reserved.
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
WordBox version 1.1
19 Jun 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Denise Pope
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
Welcome to WordBox!m
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Internet: www.tconl.com/~kents
Software Support
WordBox version 1.2
18 Aug 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
A very special thanks goes out to Denise Pope, whose indominable spirit and drive contributed, in no small way, to this project.
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
Welcome to WordBox!m
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Internet: www.tconl.com/~kents
Software Support
WordBox version 1.3
28 Aug 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
A very special thanks goes out to Denise Pope, whose indominable spirit and drive contributed, in no small way, to this project.
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
Welcome to WordBox!m
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Internet: www.tconl.com/~kents
Software Support
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
XPDR%
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
XPDR%
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
About Twin Feats
Bug Reports
GamePlay Overview
Main Toolbar Panel
New Game Options!
High Scores Display
In Game Toolbar
Pause Options&
Cancel Player Options
Words Display
Scores Display
About WordBox9
Welcome to WordBox!n
1998 Twin Feats Software & Kevin G. Smotherman
E-mail: kevins@phonet.com
Internet: www.phonet.com/kevins
Software Support
Ctrl shortcuts
a Add a player to the roster
c Cancel current player
d Delete a player from the roster
e Exit WordBox
h Show HiScores
i QuickHelp
l List player roster
n Start a New Game
k Preferences dialog
p Pause current game
q Quit current game
r Rotate puzzle grid
s Show scores from last game
u Unpause current game
w Show words from last game
Shift + Ctrl shortcuts
H Help database
S Sound file settings
A Show 'About' dialog
Notes
Some of the shortcuts shown above are active ony during those times appropriate for the indicated action. For example, Pausing the game is only possible if a game is in progress.
Some dialogs have shortcuts which are only active while that dialog is active, and those shortcuts should appear on the dialog. 'Esc' always cancels a dialog, and 'Enter' always completes a dialog.
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Arial
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XPDR%
Disclaimer & License Agreement
Keyboard ShortCuts
Prefs Dialog
Sound File Settings
WordBox version 1.4
4 Sep 1998
Many thanks to my loyal testers, who are (in alphabetical order):
Dave Chadderton
Luqman Leckie
Charles Reed
Steve Richardson
Vincent Tan
Jeff Whiting
A very special thanks goes out to Denise Pope, whose indominable spirit and drive have contributed, in no small way, to this project.
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