Quad is played on a 11 x 11 square grid (with the four outer corners missing). Players take turns placing pieces on the board. Each player begins the game with 20 attacking pieces (marbles), and 6 blocking pieces (stars). The object of the game is to out-maneuver your opponent and be the first to create a quad by capturing the four corners of a square with your attacking marbles. The blocking stars are used to block your opponent's potential quads, but don't count towards making a quad of your own.
On each turn you place one marble on the board. Optionally, before placing the marble, you can place any number of stars (up to the six you have). If both players run out of marbles before either has made a quad, the player with the most unplayed stars is declared the winner. If each has the same amount of stars (or if neither has any), the game is declared a draw.
To play a blocking star, either tap the 'Play Star' button on the toolbar, or tap inside the box that show the number of stars you have left.
Once you place a blocking star, your next will place an attacking marble. If you want to place another star you must specify this by tapping the toolbar or the box of stars.
If you need to switch back to a marble without placing a star, tap inside the box of marbles or tap the 'Play Marble' button on the toolbar.
s the same amount of stars (or if neither has any), the game is declared a draw.
Quad was invented by G. Keith Still - here he talks about the history of the game...
I developed the game of Quad back in 1979 when I was a student at university. My goal was to develop a quick-to-play but complex game with fewer rules than Go. My friends and I at Robert Gordons Institute of Technology in Aberdeen, Scotland played hundreds of games together. It was as a result of these many trials that I came up with this final version of Quad - the 11x11 board, 6 blocking pieces, etc.
I associate Quad with those carefree times when pressure was an exam and life was one long summer day - and with my friend Graham "Ibrox" Mackenzie, who is no longer with us. He and I spent many lunchtimes playing Quad at the Student Union. He was the master of the "Shooting Star" strategy and shall be fondly remembered.
The original board for Quad was handcrafted from chipboard, and we'd often have disputes about whether a declared quad was really a square. We tried using an L-shaped piece of plastic as a guide, but it didn't always help. We even resorted to elastic bands, but that didn't always help, either. Games could often go the distance only to find that a player had won ages ago. Try the game without the benefit of the computer declaring the winner and you'll see what I mean.
In 1980, a technician at the school made me a small clear plastic board on a machine tool. It was perfect; it fit in the pocket and used nice small pieces. At last we had a game we could really play. He said "If it ever makes you a million, buy me a box of Havana cigars." I guess he'll still be waiting, but I'm happy that now, after all these years, others will get the chance to play Quad.
Quad remained in a box in my desk gathering dust until a chance discussion with my doctoral dissertation advisor, Professor Ian Stewart. Ian thought it would make a good article for his regular slot in Scientific American. Michael Mefford saw the article in Scientific American, and thought a computerized version of Quad would make a good Utilities column for PC Magazine.
Michael has done a great job with Quad for the PC and now Ewan has done an equally great job for my Psion. Quad is, once again, back in my pocket on a small piece of plastic.
I hope you enjoy playing it as much as we did back at university.
All hail the mudsharks - chip roll.
G. Keith Still
August 2000
Quad would not be possible without the following people...
G. Keith Still for creating Quad in the first place and for supporting me in creating the Epoc 32 version.
All the FreEPOC team members, but especially David Sansome for catching some rather estoric bugs
Stuart Pyefinch (www.stuartcomm.co.uk) yet again for some sterling beta testing and help in developing the AI engine.
Alex Skilton for some suggestions about the interface.
Greg Babineau programmed the Palm OS version of Quad,which is where I first discovered it.
Courier
Trainer level has one advantage over other levels. Whenever a computer can complete a Quad on its next move, that move is highlighted with a different coloured marble (green on colour machine, grey on monochrome machines). The Trainer level sometimes has difficulty in spotting some orientations of Potential Quads.
Easy skill has a similar strategy to the Trainer level, although the Potential Quads are not highlighted and mistakes are not as pronounced.
Average skill is as it says - the computer is very strong defensivly, but has only a handful of offensive strategies. The computer will not make any mistakes on this (or the Expert) level.
Expert skill should give even the most dedicated of Quad players a serious challenge.
Skill Level
Select the skill level of the computer AI (Trainer, Easy, Medium or Expert)
First Move
Who makes the first move, the Computer or the Player?
Show Computer Move
This will highlight the Computer's last move with a cursor.
Sound Level
Can be off, soft, medium or loud.
Auto Advance Level
If this preference is active, whenever you win a level, the skill level of the Computer will be advanced until you are playing in Expert mode.
Table1
Title:
Notes:
Table1
ColA1
ColB1
ColA3
ColB3
ColA4
ColB4
Index1
ColA4
Every piece you play on the board should have a purpose - either to attack or to block. An attacking move is any move that helps to build a quad in your own color. A blocking move is any move that prevents your opponent from building a quad.
Because of the many possibilities, it's easy to miss potential quads. You'll probably catch yourself cocking your head sideways in an attempt to find them all. Use the training skill level to help your recognition of potential quads.
Once you have played your marble your move is over, so be careful to check your position and your opponent's potential quads before playing. This is obvious, but bears repeating because oversights are so deadly and so easy to make.
Don't use 'psychological' strategies like hoping your opponent won't notice a potential quad, even if you're running out of blocking stars. This is risky at best against a human opponent, and hopeless against the computer (since the computer never misses a winning quad on higher skill levels). Always block your opponent's potential quads with either a star or a marble.
Once the game gets going, try to stay on the attack. When you're not forced to make a defensive move, always play offensively by creating potential quads. If you can't make the third corner of a potential quad, make the second corner. Don't waste a turn by making a dead play, placing an marble where it has no possibility of making a quad.
Even if you have to make a defensive move, you can stay on the attack. If you have to block your opponent from making a quad on his or her next turn and the blocking corner also can make a potential quad for you, play an attacking piece on the corner instead of wasting a star.
You can also use your stars to move from defensive plays to offensive plays. If you're forced to prevent your opponent from making a quad, but playing an attacking piece on the corner does not make a potential quad for you, look around and see if you can make a square elsewhere on the board. If you can, block your opponent with a star and follow by playing the marble where you can potentially make a quad.
Since you only have a limited number of stars, your block and attack strategy has to be carefully timed so you don't run out of stars later in the game when you might desperately need them. In general it's best not to play stars too early in the game. Wait until the fourth or fifth turn when you can better see your opponent's strategy and establish your own.
Of course, you are forced into playing a star if your opponent has cleverly created two (or more) potential quads in one turn. After the first is blocked, the second can be prevented with either another star or with an marble. The strength of your own potential attack, the number of stars you have left, and the number of stars your opponent has left all must be weighed in deciding whether to use another precious star.
When possible, create two potential quads simultaneously with one piece (a 'double quad' move). This forces your opponent to make two blocking moves on his or her turn. By playing a lot of double quad moves early in the game you can force your opponent to use up his or her stars.
FreEPOC is an Epoc Software House with a difference. While every one of our products is of professional quality, they are not crippled in any way. You are not forced to pay for them. They are not shareware.
But don't think that means they are in any way not as good as their commercial counterparts. They are.
FreEPOC sustains itself on donations from many satisfied users - we couldn't have got to where we are today without their generosity. If you want to help us, details are on our website (www.freepoc.de).
Free Yourself...
Free Your Palmtop...
FreEPOC.
Courier
Courier
Quad is a strategy game. While it is fast to play, it offers a depth and complexity that is unsurpassed.
In simple terms, you have to create a quad before your opponent.
A quad is made when four of your attacking pieces form the corners of a square. The quad can be any size and orientation.
The quad must be a perfect square (all four sides must be equal in length). Rectangles don't count!
Quad was designed by G. Keith Still and the game has been developed with his permission and blessing.
EPOC32 version
Ewan Spence, and FreEPOC.
Quad version 1.00
Contact the Author by Email
ewan@freepoc.de
Contact the Designer by Email
KeithStill@cs.com
Visit our Website for Updates to Quad and more high quality, free software.
http://www.freepoc.de
Courier
Courier
Courier
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What is Quad?
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How To Play Quad
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Playing a Marble
You place an attacking marble on the grid by simply tapping the grid. This will end your turn, so if you want to place any blocking stars on the grid, you must do so before placing your marble.
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Strategy
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Message from Quad's Inventor
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Skill Levels
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Playing a Star
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Thanks
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About Quad
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Preferences
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About FreEPOC
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Contacting FreEPOC
Care to comment on our software? Want to suggest improvements? Or just say thanks? No matter the reason, we'd love to hear from you. Getting in touch with us is easy.
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