ftp.whtech.com/ftp.whtech.com.tar/ftp.whtech.com/articles/Sughrue/newage02

Text File | 2006-10-19 | 8KB | 216 lines

 .IF DSK1.C3
 .CE 6
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   ^W-AGE/99 * NEW-AGE/
   ^99 *NEW-AGE/99* N
   ^EW-AGE/99 * NEW-AGE
   ^/99 *NEW-AGE/99*
   ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 ^^^^^^^^^^*by JACK SUGHRUE, Box
 459, East Douglas, MA 01516*
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^#2
 There's a new (I think) company
 making software for the TI: Arcade
 Action, Program Innovators, 4122
 Glenway, Wawatosa, WI 53222
 They have a nice version of TETRIS.
 They also have the usual space shoot
 'ems.  They have a program called
 Snowmobile which is yet another
 version of the Regena-style
 skiing/river-travel manuevering.  And
 they have a bunch of other stuff, all
 of which is detailed in their free
 catalog.
     But what they have that is
 WONDERFUL and a true first for the TI
 Community is a superb cribbage game!
     It's perfect in the sense that it
 is completely playable.  It is
 reasonably fast.  It is intelligent
 and colorful and extremely well
 designed and in Extended Basic for
 people who like to add their own
 little touches, though you won't need
 to add little touches to this game at
 all.  The unknown author even offers
 simple suggestions for reducing 11 of
 its 60 sectors.
 There have never been any good,
 playable TI cribbage games, but this
 game, called CUTTHROAT CRIBBAGE, is
 something else entirely.  This game
 not only lets you play against an
 intelligent computer but allows some
 interesting inputs.  During the game,
 for example, if you wish to question
 the computer's judgment (or would
 like to test out some odd card
 combos) you simply type "C" for Count
 Check at the end of a hand (instead
 of the default "P" for continuing
 Play).  You may then set up a hand,
 including play card.  The computer
 will score it, explaining each
 detail.  For example, you must type
 each card with the pip value first
 and the suit (S,H,D,C) second.  A
 Five of Hearts would be 5H; a Queen
 of Clubs, QC; an Ace of Diamonds, AD.
 You get the picture.  So take a hand
 like 5H, JD, 5S, 5C, with the play
 card the 5D.  Any cribbage players
 recognize the Grand Hand when they
 see it and know it equals 29, the
 highest score in cribbage.  The
 computer will tell you this when you
 type in that hand.  It will also
 break down all of the patterns by
 individual scores (15s, Quadruplets,
 His Nobs) to show you exactly how the
 hand is scored.  You can create any
 legitimate hand you'd like for
 detailed analysis by the computer.
 This is a superb help feature,
 particularly for the novice.  The pro
 will have a good time with this game,
 too.
     On-screen graphics are equal to
 the best I've seen for ANY card game.
 The board on the right side runs hand
 totals to their new mark before
 filling in the peg area up to that
 point.  There are three rows of 40
 instead of the up-down 30/30 of
 normal cribbage boards; more like
 the continuous steeplechase boards
 which are becoming popular.
     But what kind of game does it
 play? It is a very good opponent that
 knows the rules perfectly.  And you
 better not make an error in scoring
 or it will call "Muggins" on you and
 take the points; thus, the name
 "Cutthroat".
     The only cheating I was able to
 do (and get away with) was to call a
 Go after a 23 when I had a three left
 in my hand.  I got a point for last
 card at 23.  The computer called Go.
 I returned Go, though I could have
 played.  It played a four; I played
 my three and got another point I
 certainly did not deserve.  But I
 assume the author did not anticipate
 sneaky little buggers like myself
 trying to sleaze through a game
 instead of playing properly.
     Except for the ability to cheat
 at the Go and the inability (on the
 computer's part) to note a Skunk or
 Lurch, this is a fantastic game in
 every way. NEW-AGE/99 rates this an
 A+! It is user-friendly; it is fast
 (though giving you time to make your
 crib-throw decisions); it is nice to
 look at; it is cheap ($7 gets you
 this and a couple other programs
 thrown in; $10 gets you twice as many
 games, including AA's TETRIS).  The
 playing field is great.  Your six
 cards are dealt at the bottom of the
 screen nearest you; the computer's
 opposite near the top.  As you
 discard by pressing C,D,E,F,G,or H
 (letters assigned to your cards), the
 crib will be placed near your cards
 ifyoudealt or near the computer's
 ifitdealt.  You always know whose
 crib it is.  The play is done card by
 card in the area between you and your
 opponent.  Just like the real thing.
 Play scores (15, Run, Go, 31, Pairs,
 etc.) are all announced and scored
 during play. In addition to the
 multi-colored pegging "board" on the
 right, individual totals are kept in
 boxes next to each player.  There is
 never a moment of confusion in this
 game.
     At the conclusion of play, the
 hands and crib are spread out for
 analysis before scoring.  Bear in
 mind that the computer's scoring is
 never wrong.  All combos are sitting
 quietly in data statements just
 waiting for you to score incorrectly.
 If you do, you get zapped.  You can
 never perform "Muggins" on the
 machine, but sometimes its play isn't
 as sharp as your own under some odd
 play moments.  It isn't as wise as
 some of the best cribbage players
 I've ever played.  (My father, for
 instance, or my daughter Sue.  Or an
 old Army buddy, Emil, from my days in
 Germany.) On the whole, though,
 Cutthroat is a worthy opponent, and,
 as cribbage cannot be played over the
 phone or by mail the way chess can,
 this is the next best thing to a
 human opponent.  In some ways,
 better.  It is 3:30 AM right now.  I
 woke and danced The Insomniac's Waltz
 before settling at my computer.  I
 popped on cribbage.  Won two games.
 Felt good.  Decided to write this
 column, which had been back-burnered
 for a couple weeks.  Who else could I
 have gotten to play cribbage after 3
 AM? And accept defeat so graciously?
     Hey! Wait a minute!  What if you
 don't play cribbage?  Well, for one
 thing, you must have had a deprived
 childhood (and continually deprived
 adulthood) as cribbage is such fun!
 It's one of the few card games whose
 origins are known. It was created by
 the English gambler, soldier, poet
 (Why so pale and wan, fair lover?
 Prithee, why so pale?) Sir John
 Suckling (1609-1642).  It's come down
 to us across the centuries virtually
 unchanged.  The English still play
 the 5-card version, the Americans
 play the 6 (a variation of this
 century that caught on permanently in
 spite of considerable criticism by
 purists).
     Anyway, if you don't play, get
 someone to teach you or get a Hoyle's
 and, with Cutthroat in front of you,
 teach yourself.  This game makes it
 easy, particularly with the option of
 creating any hands you want to learn
 to score.
     My fifth-grade students play it
 constantly and are even beginning to
 beat it almost as often as it beats
 them.  Great learning tool.
     Finally, at game's end, there is
 no gloating.  The screen fills with
 "YOUR VICTORY" or "MY VICTORY"
 without the obnoxious toots, plunks,
 and burps that usually accompany such
 announcements.  Very professional.
     Now for those times when the urge
 of the cribbage addict comes upon you
 and no one is around to play, just
 pop a Foster's, turn on your friendly
 TI, and go to it.
 [If you use NEW-AGE/99 please put
 me on your exchange list.]
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