Game Zone - 1,000+ Games/GAMEZONE.BIN/Programs/PALM/Backgammon/Backgammon.txt

Text File | 1999-04-22 | 17.2 KB | 419 lines

Backgammon
The Classic Game of Skill and Luck for the PalmOS

Table of Contents
1    Welcome and Registration
1.1        About Backgammon
1.2        System Requirements
1.3        Registering Backgammon
1.4        Contacting Stand Alone Inc.
1.4.1        Business Hours
1.4.2        Email
1.4.3        Phone
1.4.4        Regular Mail
1.4.5        World Wide Web
1.5        Reporting Bugs
1.6        Version History
2    Basic Rules of Backgammon
2.1        Backgammon╒s Objective
2.2        The Board
2.2.1        Bar
2.2.2        Home Boards and Outer Boards
2.2.3        Direction of Movement
2.3        Deciding the First Move
2.4        Dice Rolls and Movement
2.5        Blocked Points
2.6        Blots and Bumping Pieces
2.7        Getting Bumped Men Back Into Play
2.8        Bearing Off
2.9        Scoring and the Doubling Cube
3    Backgammon for PalmOS
3.1        Starting a New Game
3.2        Making the First Move
3.3        Rolling Dice
3.4        Moving Pieces
3.5        Bearing Pieces Off
3.6        Bringing Bumped Pieces Back Into Play
3.7        The Doubling Cube
3.8        Taking a Move Back
4    Statistics and Preferences
4.1        Settings
4.1.1        Computer Opponent
4.1.2        Computer Plays White or Black
4.1.3        Computer Skill Level
4.1.4        Auto Advance Turns
4.2        Dice Statistics
4.3        Game Statistics
4.3.1        Games Played
4.3.2        Games Completed
4.3.3        Total Points
4.3.4        Singles
4.3.5        Gammons
4.3.6        Backgammons
4.3.7        Losses

1    Welcome and Registration

1.1    About Backgammon
Backgammon is an adaptation for the PalmOS of the
classic board game. Backgammon has every thing you need to play on your
PalmPilot. It includes a computer opponant with four skill levels, full
statistics so you can track your games, and a doubling cube to make the game
more interesting.

Included in this archive are the following packages:

ÑBackgammon.prc
This is the software package that you need to install on your PalmPilot.

ÑBackgammon.pdf
This is the users╒ manual for Backgammon.

ÑBackgammon.txt
This is a text only format of the users╒ manual. If at all possible, use
the pdf version of the manual as it has layout and graphics that cannot
be included in the text version. The pdf version of the manual is viewed
using Adobe¿     Acrobat Reader¿. This can be obtained free of charge at
www.adobe.com.

ÑSAStuff.txt
A list of all of the software available from Stand Alone Inc.

1.2    System Requirements
Backgammon is designed to work on both the
PalmPilot 1000, 5000k, Professional and Personal units, as well as the Palm
III device. Throughout this manual, PalmPilot is used to refer to any of these
units.

1.3    Registering Backgammon
Backgammon is Shareware, and costs $15.00.

The Backgammon Demo will work for a 30 day trial period. At the end of the 30
Days, it will stop working. To avert this tragedy, you will need to get in
touch with Stand Alone to register your software. You can register with us by
several different methods.

You will need to include the following information, no matter how you choose
to register. Most importantly, you need to include your name EXACTLY as it is
entered in your PalmPilot, including spaces. We use this to generate your
password, so it must be precise. You will need to specify which programs you
wish to register, and include payment for each of them. We accept Visa,
Mastercard, and American Express. If you are using normal mail, you can send
us a check as well. Make sure to include your card number, the expiration
date, and what type of card you are using. You also need to give us a way to
get in touch with you. Email is the preferred way, followed by your address
and phone number. An Email address is not strictly necessary, but it will
result in much faster service.

For instant gratification, register by phone, and pay using Visa or
Mastercard. To do so, call [phone] and we will give you a password
right over the phone.

Alternatively, you can send us a check to the address below.

You can also Email us. Just Email us the relevant information, and we╒ll send
you a code. If you are registering through Compuserve, use, GO SWREG.

Once you register, you will receive a password from us. To install the password,
first tap on the Menu silkscreen button. Then, select Options, and tap Enter
Password. Finally, enter your password on the space provided.

1.4    Contacting Stand Alone Inc.
There are several ways to get in touch with
us here at Stand Alone, Inc.  Email is the preferred form of communication,
but whatever works for you is fine. If you have any questions, comments,
suggestions or compliments, please don't hesitate to contact us through any of
the methods listed below.

1.4.1    Business Hours
Stand Alone is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Thursday, CLOSED Saturday and
Sunday. These times are CST and GMT -5.

1.4.2    Email
internet:     [e-mail]
AOL:         Std Alone
CompuServe:    76342,3057

1.4.3    Phone
Voice:         [phone]
Fax:        [phone]

1.4.4    Regular Mail
Stand Alone 3171 N. Hudson
Suite 1 Chicago IL, 60657
USA

1.4.5    World Wide Web
http://www.standalone.com

1.5    Reporting Bugs
If you find a bug in our software, it would be helpful
if you reported the bug to us. To report a bug, please Email us with Bug
Report Request in the subject line.  In the Email, include the following
information:

ÑWhat type of PalmPilot you are using (i.e. Personal)
ÑThe software name and
version number (i.e. Backgammon 1.0)
ÑThe error number
ÑA brief description of
how we can recreate the error
ÑYour name and Email address so we can contact
you when the bug is fixed

When reporting bugs, it is best to Email us, rather than calling, so that the
programers have a written record of the information they need to solve the
problem. As soon as we receive your Email, the programer will examine the
problem, and fix it.. Because our programers are busy creating software, it
can take a while for them to reply, but they will release a new version of the
software that fixes the bug as soon as they can.

1.6    Version History
Version        Date                Notes
1.0            April 1, 1998        First public release

2    Basic Rules of Backgammon
This chapter provides a brief introduction to the rules of backgammon. If you
are an experienced player, feel free to skip this Chapter entirely and go on
to Chapter 3, which discusses the details of Backgammon for PalmOS. This
chapter makes no attempt to go into the intricacies of backgammon strategy,
and any readers that are interested should take a look at any of the many
books that have been published on the subject.

2.1    Backgammon╒s Objective
The objective of backgammon is to move all of your men to your home board,
and then off. The first player to do so wins the game.

2.2    The Board
The backgammon board is made up of 24 triangle-shaped spaced called points.
Each player has 15 men that move around the board on these points. Backgammon
for the PalmOS sets up the board for you, so you don╒t need to worry about
that.

2.2.1    Bar
The space in the middle of the board is called the Bar. Any pieces that are
bumped are placed on the Bar until they can enter play again. For information
of bumping pieces, please see Section 2.5.

2.2.2    Home Boards and Outer Boards
Each Player has a Home board and an Outer board. In Backgammon for the
PalmOS, the upper left hand board is White╒s Home board, and the upper right
hand board is White╒s Outer board. The lower left hand board is Black╒s Home
board, and the lower right hand corner is Black╒s Outer board.

2.2.3    Direction of Movement
White╒s pieces move from Black╒s home board to White╒s home board. Black╒s
pieces move in the opposite direction: from White╒s home board to Black╒s
home board.

2.3    Deciding the First Move
To decide the first move, both players roll one die. The player with the
higher roll moves first, using the die values that were rolled to decide the
first move. If both players roll the same number, the dice are rerolled until
one player rolls a higher number.

2.4    Dice Rolls and Movement
Each player╒s turn starts with them rolling two dice. The numbers that are
rolled on the dice determine how far a player can move a man on the board.
For example, if a 4 and a 6 are rolled, you could move one piece four spaces
and a second one six spaces; or could choose to move one piece six spaces and
then the same one again four more spaces, for a total of ten spaces.

The exception to this rule is when a player rolls doubles. When doubles are
rolled, the player gets four moves of the double rolled, rather than just two.
For example, if you roll 3,3 then you could move four pieces three spaces
each, one piece three spaces four times for a total of twelve spaces, or some
combination in-between. Sometimes, you cannot move one or more of your die
rolls. In this case, you make the moves that you can, and lose the rest. If
you have no legal moves, then your turn ends.


2.5    Blocked Points
If a point has two or more pieces on it, then it is owned by the player whose
pieces are there. None of the opposing player╒s pieces can be moved to that
point. If one player blocked six points in a row, the group is called a
Prime, and no enemy pieces can get past it.

2.6    Blots and Bumping Pieces
If there is only one piece on a point, then is called a Blot. Blots are
vulnerable, and should be avoided if possible. If your opponent lands a piece
on one of your blots, then your piece is bumped, and moved to the Bar.

2.7    Getting Bumped Men Back Into Play
If one or more of your men are bumped to the Bar, then you have to bring
these men back into play before you can make any other move. Bumped men start
at the Bar, and are brought back into play on the opposing side╒s Home board.
If you cannot bring a bumped piece into play because of blocked points, then
you lose your turn.

2.8    Bearing Off
The ultimate goal in backgammon is to bear off all of your pieces. Bearing
off is the process of moving a piece of yours off the board from your Home
board. Most importantly, you may only bear off pieces if all of your pieces
are in your home board. Once all of your pieces are in your home board, any
roll that moves a piece off the board will bear it off. If you bear all of
your pieces off the board, then you win the game.

There are also a few special rules involved with bearing pieces off. If you
have a die roll that will let you move pieces within your Home board, you are
not required to bear a piece off. Also, if you have a die roll that is greater
than the number needed to move a piece off, you can use it to bear the piece
off. However, you must use the roll on a piece furthest away in the home
board. For example, say you have a piece on the three point, and the five
point, and you roll a six. You are allowed to use the roll to bear off the man
on the five point, but not the three. Continuing the example, say that next
turn you only have a man on the three point and you roll another six. Now,
because the man at the three point is the one furthest out in the Home board,
you can use the six to bear the piece off.

2.9    Scoring and the Doubling Cube
A win in backgammon is usually worth one point. However, there are several
things that can change that. If you bear all of your men off of the board
before your opponent gets any off, then you have achieved a Gammon, which is
worth two points. If you bear off all of your men and your opponent has a man
on the Bar or in your home board, then you have achieved a Backgammon, worth
three points.

The game is made more interesting with the use of the doubling cube. The
doubling cube has numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. At the beginning of the
game it starts at 64, showing that neither player has doubled. At any point in
the game, either player can choose to double by placing the die on the board
with the 2 facing up. The game is then worth twice the points that it normally
would be worth. The doubling cube is now kept by the player who was just
doubled. This way, one player cannot keep raising the score. Each player
always has the choice of refusing a double. However, if you refuse the double,
then you lose the game at the point value before the double was offered.

3    Backgammon for PalmOS
Chapter 2 described the rules for any backgammon game, and this chapter
explains the specifics of playing backgammon on your Pilot.

3.1    Starting a New Game
To begin a new game of backgammon, tap on the Menu button and select Options.
From the Options menu, tap New Game. This returns the board to the starting
position and begins a new game. You can also use the shortcut Command-N to
begin a new game as well.

3.2    Making the First Move
To start a game of Backgammon for the PalmOS, tap the Roll Dice button. This
makes the roll that decides who goes first. The die on the left is for White,
and the die on the right is for Black.

3.3    Rolling Dice
To roll the dice, tap the Roll Dice Button. You begin each turn by rolling
the dice.

3.4    Moving Pieces
Pieces are moved in one of two ways. The first way is to tap and hold on the
piece you wish to move, and then drag it to the destination point. The second
way is to tap the piece you wish to move, and then tap the destination. If
you are in a position where you cannot make a move, tap the Roll Dice button
to end your turn. Backgammon for the PalmOS will not let you end your turn if
your still have any valid moves left.

3.5    Bearing Pieces Off
To bear a piece off, tap on the piece and drag it off of the board. All the
standard rules apply when bearing pieces off, so you must have all of your
men in your home board before you can bear any of them off.

3.6    Bringing Bumped Pieces Back Into Play
If you have a piece that has been bumped to the Bar, you need to bring it
back into play before you can make any other move. To bring a bumped piece
back into play, tap on the destination point for the man. It will then be
moved there automatically.

3.7    The Doubling Cube
In Backgammon for the PalmOS, the doubling cube starts at one. To double the
other player, tap the doubling cube. If you are doubled, then you have the
option to accept or decline the double. If the double is declined, then the
declining player loses the game. The only time that you can double is before
you roll the dice for your turn.

WARNING: If you have Auto-Advance Turns set on, then you will not be able to
double.

3.8    Taking a Move Back
To take a move back, tap on the Menu button, andselect Edit. Then, tap on
Undo Move. Alternatively, you can use the short cut Command-U. You can only
use Undo Move to take back one move.

4    Statistics and Preferences
Backgammon for the PalmOS has a number of ways to customize the game to your
preferences, as well as keep track of the statistics for your games. All of
the options listed below can be found by tapping the Menu button, and then
selecting the Options menu.

4.1    Settings
The Settings screen lets you customize the game to your preferences.

4.1.1    Computer Opponent
If this box is checked off, the computer takes one of the sides in the game.
If it is unchecked, then both sides are human controlled.

4.1.2    Computer Plays White or Black
You set the side that the computer plays by tapping on either the White or
Black box. The color selected is the one played by the computer.

4.1.3    Computer Skill Level
The computer player has four different skill levels: Beginner, Medium, Hard,
and Expert. The selected box determines the level of the computer. In the
Beginner and Medium levels, the doubling cube is disabled.

4.1.4    Auto Advance Turns
If this box is checked, the dice are automatically rolled as soon as the turn
begins. This speeds up the game, but because the doubling cube needs to be
used before the dice are rolled, you can never double if this option is
turned on.

4.2    Dice Statistics
The Dice Statistics screen shows you the number of times each combination of
dice has been rolled. The number to the left of the slash is for White, the
number after the slash is for Black.

If you tap the Show % button, then the screen shows you the percentage of
times that the dice combinations are rolled for each player. If you tap the
Menu button while at this screen, the Option menu appears with the choice to
reset the dice statistics.


4.3    Game Statistics
The Winning Percentages screen shows the statistics for all of your games.
If you tap the Menu button while at this screen, the Option menu appears with
the choice to reset the game statistics.

4.3.1    Games Played
Shows you the number of games you have started.

4.3.2    Games Completed
Shows you the number of games that have been
finished.

4.3.3    Total Points
Shows the number of points each player has won.

4.3.4    Singles
Shows the number of normal games won by each player.

4.3.5    Gammons
Shows the number of Gammons won by each player.

4.3.6    Backgammons
Shows the number of Backgammons won by each player.

4.3.7    Losses
Shows the number of games, rather than points, lost by each
player.





Version History
4/22/99 - started keeping track of version history
1.31 release
fixed a bearing off bug where computer would bear off 3 pieces when only 2 were allowed
opening with 6-1 resulting in 17 pieces bug fixed
more stable on older Palms.
must delete old versions before installing.