Best of Mega Games for DOS

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Text File | 1993-07-04 | 23KB | 485 lines

The Game of ACluSl (A Clues Solution) Written by Richard Nikula Version 2.0 - July, 1993 Copyright 1991-1993 - All Rights Reserved Thank you for taking the time to look at this game. I am sure that you will find it easy to play but at the same time, challenging. This game is best described as a cross-breed. It is somewhat like Wheel of Fortune, somewhat like Jeopardy, and also like Trivial Pursuit (and probably a couple of others that I didn't name). The goal is simple. Solve a puzzle by guessing the letters that comprise it (Ala Wheel of Fortune). However, each puzzle consists of 2 parts: a set of related clues; and a solution category (Ala Jeopardy). The clues identify the solution with each clue making it more obvious (usually). It helps to have a good memory and know a bit of trivia (Ala Trivial Pursuit). This game is best when played competitively with 2 or more players. Up to 4 players can play against each other and statistics are maintained for number of games, number of puzzles solved, number of clues solved, maximum and minimum number of misses, and misses in the current puzzle. If playing for dollars, a running total is shown for each player. These statistics are reset at the beginning of each game or if the number of players is changed in the middle of the game. The game is distributed with 5 puzzle files. Registered users can also get additional puzzles (see registration section). Puzzles created by others may also be available to you via bulletin boards or shareware services (how you can create your own puzzle files is also covered in the registration section). The game is pretty straight forward and can be played without reading these instructions. However, I have tried to provide answers to the most common questions so I suggest that you keep this documentation handy. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SUPPORT This games should work on any IBM compatible PC running almost any version of DOS. It hasn't been tested on the older versions, but if you have an old DOS version and have problems, let me know. The game will work with Monochrome displays but looks much nicer in color (CGA, EGA, or VGA all work okay). 80 column character width is required. For efficiency, the program writes directly to video RAM. If your PC is not a true compatible, there is a small chance that this will not work. In this case, a special switch, -b, should be specified (as discussed below). This will cause the output to use the BIOS calls. Another switch, -c, may improve the appearance of the program on Laptops. It will not eliminate the colors on a color display. If you have a mouse driver, it must be loaded before starting ACLUSL. Everything that can be done from the keyboard can be done with the mouse. In some cases, you may find that using the mouse is cumbersome, thus the keyboard and the mouse can both be used at the same time. The program accepts input from either the right or left mouse button. If you prefer to only use the keyboard, deactivating the mouse function eliminates the mouse cursor from the display. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY THIS SOFTWARE IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. INSTALLATION This product is distributed with the following files: ACLUSL.EXE - The executable file ACLUSL.DOC - The file you are currently reading ACLUSL.REG - A registration form that can be printed and returned MOVIES.PZL - 300 movie titles that will test your cinema knowledge POTLUCK.PZL - Puzzles that test your trivia knowledge QUOTES.PZL - Quotes from notable people on various topics STATES.PZL - Facts about the 50 states PLACES.PZL - Places around the World You may place these files either on a hard disk or diskette. However, when running the game, the current drive and directory must be the one containing the puzzle files. CHANGES AND ENHANCEMENTS: 1.1 - Original Release 1.2 - Various spelling errors corrected - Added Save and Restore options - Added random order option - Display number of puzzles remaining in file - Additional puzzle file (PLACES.PZL) 1.2+ - When multiple players, solution didn't switch players on a miss if all clues were already solved. - Correct player name on puzzle solution 1.3 - Added scoring by points or by dollars Added online help Added function key support for menu items 2.0 - Added player(s) to saved file and optional restore (Note: 1.3 was never sent as shareware and sent to registered users only STARTING ACLUSL To invoke ACLUSL, enter the following command: ACLUSL [file] [options] File is used to request either a specific or generic puzzle file in standard DOS format. For example A* for all files starting with A. Options are optional (or else they wouldn't be options would they) and provide switches to the program that alter the default settings. -m Deactivate mouse (if mouse driver present) -n Turn off noises -e Enable expert mode (see below) -w Enable wizard mode (see below) -r Use random puzzle presentation (see below) -d Use dollars scoring versus points scoring (see below) -p1name Player 1's name -p2name Player 2's name (-2 can be used for 2 player w/o name) -p3name Player 3's name (-3 can be used for 3 player w/o name) -p4name Player 4's name (-4 can be used for 4 player w/o name) Note: options can be combined but must be specified separately and follow file (if used) as in the following example: ACLUSL STATES -m -n -p1Tom -p2Ralph starts the game selecting the states puzzle file with no mouse, no sound and 2 players (Tom and Ralph). INITIAL OPTIONS MENU As an alternative to using the option switches, you can specify the settings via the options menu. The options menu is presented automatically when ACLUSL is started with no switches. The options can be changed by typing the first letter of the option (or if mouse support is active, by clicking near the beginning of each option). To leave the options menu, press ENTER (with the mouse, click on the "press ENTER" line or press both buttons simultaneously). If for some reason, you don't want to continue with ACLUSL, pressing escape (ESC) terminates the program. The option settings and their defaults are as follows: Players - Default is 1 player. Up to 4 players may be specified Skill - Default is beginner. Expert and wizard can be selected individually or together. See skill level section. Mouse - Default is Mouse active if a mouse driver is loaded or Keyboard if not. If ACLUSL can not find the mouse driver, you cannot set the mouse option on. Even when the mouse is active, the keyboard can still be used. Noise - Default is noise on. Noise can be set off. The game makes a small amount of sound to indicate good and bad guesses. If you wish to play without being heard, turn the sound off. Consecutive - Default is on. Order can be set to random. Determines whether the puzzle clues are presented in the order from the puzzle file or in random order. When using random order, the clues may not match the puzzle descriptions. Scoring - Default is points. Determines whether players are playing for points or for dollars. See scoring options below. Mode - Note, this option is only visible when the options menu is selected during game play. Default is set by puzzle file. Can be "Solution only" or "All Clues". Use this option after selecting a puzzle file to set the puzzle mode to your liking. PLAYER NAME SPECIFICATION Being a pleasant program, ACLUSL requests that players enter their names. You can either enter your first name as requested or just press ENTER (or a simple mouse click will do), in which case, you will be known by the affectionate name, PLAYER1, PLAYER2 and so on. If you change the number of players during a game, you will be asked for all names again (respond in the same manner). If you specify names for all players via the switches, you will not be prompted for names. PUZZLE FILE SELECTION If more than a single puzzle file in the current directory matches the file selection, you will be presented with a list of puzzles to choose from. Select the puzzle by entering its number (or with the mouse by clicking anywhere on the puzzle identification). The default puzzle can be selected by simply pressing ENTER (or by clicking on the "enter puzzle number" row with the mouse). Note, if you want to quit without selecting a new puzzle, press escape (ESC) when viewing the puzzle selection list. When a puzzle is selected, a dialog box will be presented which provides a short description and whether the puzzle is, by default, a "Solution only" or an "All clues" puzzle. To exit the dialog, press any key (or click a mouse button). PUZZLE MODES There are 2 types of puzzle modes. The first and more common is the Solution only mode. In this mode, a puzzle is considered solved when the solution has been completed. The second mode is the All clues mode. In this mode, the puzzle is considered solved when ALL clues and the solution are complete (though not all clues need to be complete prior to the solution). This mode presents an interesting variation. For example, in the STATE puzzle, you may figure out that the state is IOWA just from size alone with a very few tries, but in All clues mode, you still have to get the other clues (such as its capital). Each puzzle is preset with a default solution type. After selecting a puzzle, if you want to change the solution type, use the options menu. This mode can also be used to extend the playing time of a puzzle file after you master it, since often times you didn't solve all of the clues. SCORING OPTIONS There are 2 scoring options, points or dollars. When playing for points, points are awarded as follows: 1 point for each clue solved plus 3 points for each puzzle solution. Up to ten points are awarded for the least guesses required to solve a complete puzzle. That is, for 9 misses you get 1 bonus point, for 8 you get 2 bonus points, for 7 you get 3, and so on. When playing for dollars, the "wheel" is spun between each guess. While the wheel is spinning, you can elect to guess a letter or to solve the entire clue. Guessing a letter can be selected by pressing any key or clicking the mouse. Solving is selected by pressing S or by clicking on SOLVE. If you elect to guess, the wheel will come to a stop at a dollar amount. This amount is shown in the upper right of the screen. If you guess a consonant that is in the current clues, you are awarded that amount for each occurrence of the letter. Vowels may be guessed but do not result in dollar awards. There is 1 space on the wheel that results in a loss turn and 1 bankrupt. Note that the wheel does not change for a given clue so with some effort, you can avoid these spaces by proper timing of your guess request. If you elect to solve the entire clue, you supply the letters just as in normal play. If you incorrectly enter a letter, the turn is ended. No additional money is awarded while solving the puzzle but you avoid the possibility of a bankrupt or a loss of turn. When a clue is solved, only the player solving the clue gets to keep any money earned for that clue. The other players totals are reset to the start of the clue. If a bankrupt is hit, only the money earned for the current clue is lost. When solving the solution, the wheel is not spun before each letter. The player who solves the solution is awarded a $1000 bonus. PUZZLE PRESENTATION DISPLAY This display is composed of 4 parts: the menu; the alphabet; the clues, and the players. THE MENU The menu identifies the actions that you can do during a puzzle. These can be selected by pressing the ALT key and at the same time as the first letter of the action or by function key. They can also be selected with a mouse by clinking on the initial letter (due to the close proximity to the alphabet section). The menu actions are: Quit F2 - Done, finished, the game terminates. Next F3 - Proceed to the next puzzle. Options F4 - Display options presentation menu to change settings. Puzzles F5 - Display puzzle file selection. Describe F6 - Displays the current puzzle description. Save F7 - Saves the progress in the current puzzle. Restore F8 - Restores the puzzle progress from a previous "save". Help F1 - Display the online help (based on current settings). THE ALPHABET The letters A through Z. The letters are displayed indicating 1 of 3 states: it hasn't been guessed; it was a correct guess; or it was an incorrect guess. There are 2 sets of letters. The first is for the clues and the second for the solution. The set for the clues is reset with each clue whereas the set for the solution is reset between puzzles (only one or the other is shown at any given time). Select letters that you think are in the puzzle by either typing it on the keyboard or by clicking over the letter with the mouse. If sound is active, a tone will be sounded indicating the success or failure of the guess. If expert mode is active (see below) the vowels are not displayed until all the consonants have been identified. THE CLUES This section displays the four clues and the solution (the current puzzle file and puzzle number are also shown). Each puzzle begins by presenting the first clue. Select letters that you think comprise the clue as discussed above. When the clue is complete, you will be given the opportunity to complete the solution. The solution is completed just like the clues. However, if you guess a wrong letter, you will be returned to the next clue. This process repeats until either you have completed the solution (in Solution only mode) or until all clues are completed as well as the solution (in All clues mode). The puzzles in the puzzle file are presented in random order with no puzzle being repeated unless the puzzle file is reselected. If all puzzles in the puzzle file are completed, you will be informed to select another puzzle. (If you do not want to select another puzzle, press escape (ESC) to terminate the program.) THE PLAYERS This section displays each players statistics. The current player is highlighted and indicated by an asterisk (*) to the left of the name. Note, when starting a new puzzle, the player with the fewest puzzle solutions goes first. SKILL LEVELS There are 3 skill levels provided by the program: beginner; expert; and wizard. Expert and wizard can actually be combined producing an "expert wizard" class that only the most adventurous should try. Note, all players must play at the same skill level. The advanced skill levels should be selected after you are familiar with the puzzles is a given puzzle file. BEGINNER SKILL LEVEL Perhaps, I misnamed this level. It should probably called the normal skill level. I prefer this level (although expert isn't too bad). EXPERT SKILL LEVEL At this level the game is more difficult than beginner as follows: - Vowels are disabled until all of the consonants in the clue or solution have been guessed. Since every word must contain a vowel, the beginner can make some blind guesses not available to experts. (Hint: if you are stumped and want to guess a vowel, use options to switch to beginner, choose a vowel, then switch back to expert.) - A maximum of 60 seconds is allowed between guesses or a "miss" is counted. - Guessing a letter that you have previously guessed counts as a miss. WIZARD SKILL LEVEL At this level the game is more difficult than beginner as follows: - Clues and solution are not filled in with underscores, making it difficult to guess much in advance. - A wizard has only 30 seconds to make a guess or a miss is counted. - Re-specifying a previously guessed letter results in a miss. EXPERT WIZARD LEVEL At this level the features of both expert and wizard are combined: - Clues and solution are not filled in with underscores. - Vowels are disabled until all of the consonants in the clue or solution have been guessed. - Only 30 seconds to make a guess or a miss is counted. - Re-specifying a previously guessed letter results in a miss, AND the alphabet does not indicate previous selections. SAVING AND RESTORING You can save your current progress at any time so that you can return to the puzzle file later and not duplicate puzzles. When you request "save", you will be asked for a letter to suffix on to the saved file name. For example, if you are in the movies puzzle file and request save, the name MOVIES.SVD will be presented. If you press ENTER (or click a mouse button), this name will be used. However, if you press '1', your progress will be saved in MOVIES.SV1. Restoring is the opposite, the suffix you specify will be used to retrieve your progress. If you specify a suffix that doesn't exist, a beep will sound and the current progress unchanged. As of version 2, the player stats are also saved. On restore you will be asked if you want to restore them as well. If you do, press 'Y'. Note, if the puzzle was saved with a version prior to v2, the player stats can not be restored. If you want to change your mind after selecting save or restore, press ESC when prompted for suffix to return to the current puzzle. REGISTRATION This program is distributed as shareware. As a result, you are encouraged to register. The version of the program that you are using is fully functional. It will work with the distributed puzzles as well as puzzles that have been created by others. However, to encourage registration I have made available the following registration options: $10.00 - The thank you level. At this level, you are just acknowledging that you enjoy ACLUSL and that you support shareware. $12.50 - The Base registration level. You get the registered addition of ACLUSL at the most recent version level as well as 2 additional puzzle files usable only with the registered version. $15.00 - The Full registration level. You get the registered addition of ACLUSL at the most recent version level as well as 2 additional puzzle files usable only with the registered version. You also get the puzzle file generator. You can produce your own puzzles files and distribute them to your freinds and the world. All of the levels entitle you to technical support for ACLUSL if necessary, and notification of significant new versions. To register, simply print out the registration form enclosed. Please note, if you paid a fee to receive this evaluation copy, do not confuse this with registration. Distribution services provide shareware for a fee, registration with the author is still required. RE-DISTRIBUTION OF ACLUSL Feel free to give copies of this version of ACLUSL to your friends, family and co-workers. You may also upload it to public access bulletin boards as well. However, in all cases, the following restriction applies: The original distribution files must be sent "as is". No modifications of any kind may be made to the program, the documentation, the puzzle files, or the registration form. If the files are re-packaged using a utility such as PKZIP, only the original files may be included. ACLUSL may be distributed via shareware diskette services under the following restrictions: The distribution files must not be modified (as described above) with the following exceptions: 1) Files may be added which are standard distribution materials (such as problem reporting forms); 2) This documentation file may be augmented with distributor specific information as long as the original text file is unchanged and the additional information is clearly marked. Only "shipping & handling" fees may be charged. It must be clear to subscribers that fees do not represent registration. I must be notified of distribution (at the address supplied on the registration form) if a fee is being collected. A copy of your distribution newsletter is sufficient, you do not have to request permission in advance. The author reserves the right to request termination of distribution. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Please feel free to send me any comments regarding this program. If you have suggestions for improvements, additional features, puzzle areas, etc., contact me either by writing to the address on the registration form, or via CompuServe (70431,1055), or via Prodigy (SNXN77A).