OS/2 Shareware BBS: 7 Games/07-Games.zip/pmeqv01.zip/pmeq1.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1995-07-09 | 26KB | 372 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. About PM-Equator ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 PM-Equator -- do some brain jogging!

This is a classic number puzzle. Come on, practice it! Start with a low level
and watch yourself improving and finally crack it all.

 The object  of the game is to correctly reconstruct the secret array of
calculations. You are shown the whole array, but with each digit replaced by a
unique symbol and your aim is to identify all the symbols. For details see How
to play.

 Many thanks to the magazine Games & Puzzles and especially Yerry Felix for
inspiring me for this program.

 Cheers!

 P.S.: Please let me know of all critisisms and suggestions to improve this
little program. Mail  [e-mail].


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. How to play the game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Well, I'll assume you've read About PM-Equator  and know the idea of the game:
Finding out digits in some calculations. If you are still confused, have a look
at I've any idea.

 Remember there are two different modes to play this game (see Hardmode ), but
the main thing you might wan't to know is answered here:

 How can I enter the digit for a symbol?

 There are two different methods to do that: You can do it by a special digit
dialog or by a sort of simulated drap and drop.

The number dialog

 Just click twice with the left mouse button on a digit symbol in the puzzle, a
dialog box pops up and you can enter your guess for the value of this symbol.

Drag'n drop

 You can either drag a digit from the digit array on the puzzle or a symbol
from the puzzle to the digit array: Click once with the thing you wan't to
drag. Whatch the Mousecursor change. Move it, where you wan't to drop it and
click with the left mouse button again.

Note:  Whenever you click in the digit array you get a digit (even if you click
on a symbol) and whenever you click on the puzzle you get a symbol (even if you
click on a digit).

 To stop this drag'n drop, press the right mouse button once.

Note:  You might also have a look to Level  about setting levels, to Scoring,
to maximize your performance.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. The Puzzles ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The puzzles generated by this program have the following features:
 There is at least one dot operation (multiply or divide) and at least an
addition/subtraction.
 All numbers are positive.  Each digit 0,..,9 appears at least once.

Note:  The solution of some of the easier puzzles might be  non unique . In
this case it is your task to reconstruct the puzzle generated by the program.
This introduces a bit of luck in the game, but disappears at the higher levels.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Main screen ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The main screen of the program looks like

and is divided into three parts by horizontal lines.

Above the upper line is the puzzle or it's solution.

Below the lower line you can watch your score and remaining time.

In the middle part you can see which digits you allready decoded or still to be
guessed.

Note:  The  upper two parts of the window are sensitive to certain mouse
actions! (see How to play )


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. I've any idea ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 If you never came across  Equators  yet, lets look at some examples. Each
Symbol

or

symbolizes a digit.  So, if you look at this calculation:

You can conclude immediately since the sum of two 3 digit numbers must have a 0
or 1 as 4th digit and the digit zero is never written on the left hand of a
number (as with any number). Furthermore it has to be since
must hold.

A bit more difficult to see is and finally but it's true! And we can finally
conclude

 which looks a bit less cryptical than the starting point.  By such deducing
and some trials one can solve all  Equators  generated by this program. Good
look!

Note:  The above is a very simple example, just to give you an idea, normally
you can't conclude so much from just one calculation.  To get some more first
clues, you might like to peak at the Solutions of some puzzles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. The Equator Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Game menu contains commands that you use to choose the level to play and to
exit the application. The following commands appear in the File menu:

Level
               A dialog box appears where two levels can be entered: One as a
               lower and one as a upper bound. Legal levels range from 1 to 50.

New
               A new puzzle is generated at random.

Solution
               Give the solution of the displayed puzzle.

Highscores
               Show highscores.

Level
               Change (see level  setting.

Hardmode
               Switch to Hardmode

Alpha
               Switch between Alpha or Symbolset for coded digits.

Hedgehog
               Switch on/off the special mouse cursor.

Exit
               Well, sometimes one has to end playing and do some work.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Level ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 A dialog box appears where you can enter the two desired levels. Legal levels
range from 1 to 50. The upper level has to be  bigger  than the lower!

Note:  There is another way to make the game easier or harder: See Hardmode
The level setting is stored in the  .ini  file.  Come on! Practice yourself and
increase the level every now and then. Watch your score improve with time.

Note:  Setting a new level immediately generates a new puzzle, a process which
can take a few seconds on a slow machine ( cf. New )


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. New ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

With the menu selection Game-New a new  Equator is generated.

Note:  This may take a few seconds on a slow computer, since the program
generates a lot of puzzles and discards them if they don't fit certain criteria
( mainly your level setting, generating very easy or very difficult problems
may take time).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Solution ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 With the menu selection  Equator-Solution the solution of the puzzle is shown.

Note:  If you don't know how to learn  Equator you might generate some puzzles
with New and look at the solutions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Highscores ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 You can see the Highscores by selecting this item.

Note:  There are three types of Highscores kept: The 4 highest scores in
Hardmode, the 4 highest scores in Easymode and the 2 fastest solutions in
Easymode.

Note:  The highscores are kept in the programs ini file, all but the very last
one of each type. This allows you to watch your performance every time you
play.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Alpha ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 You can toggle between two different sets of symbols with this checkmark menu
item.

Note:  If you play Hardmode you can only play with alpha mode. Drag  drop
cursors (see How to play) only match alpha mode symbols.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Hedgehog Cursor ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Equator  comes with a special mouse cursor, if you don't like it, you can
switch it of here. Btw. the nose is the  hot spot, but it's a bit confusing...


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Hardmode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Clicking on this menuitem toggles the checkmark for  Hardmode . I do not
recommend Hardmode for beginners!

 There are two different ways to play  Equator .

 In Easymode your input is checked, whenever you enter a digit. If you are
right, you are right, if you are wrong, you suffer a penalty (See: Scoring).

 In Hardmode The program checks the correctness of your theory only when you
enter the  last digit . This is naturally much more difficult.

Note:  There is another way to make the game easier or harder: See Level  The
Hardmode setting is stored in the  .ini  file.  Try to get really tuff, play
the Hardmode.

Note:  Toggling Hardmode immediately generates a new puzzle, a process which
can take a few seconds on a slow machine ( cf. New )


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Some time its time to do some work again, so use this command, if you feel so:

 You quit the application by using the Exit command. To quit the Sample
application, do the following:

 Select the Game menu and choose the Exit command.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Help Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Here you get help!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Place information for the Help Index menu item here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. General help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Place information for the General Help menu item here.

Note:  This screen will usually be handled by the default.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Using Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 What can I say?

 It's help for using help!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Product information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PM  Equator was written by Frank Sven Nestel

( [e-mail] ).

Please have a look at the product information!

If you like this program, feel free to register it!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Product information dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog displays information about the application, such   as version
number and copyright notice.

 ;-)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. Continue ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Continue button closes the Product information dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22. Scoring ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Well the scoring is a bit difficult. There are two different scoring schemes.
One for Easymode. one for Hardmode.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22.1. Easymode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 In the beginning you receive a base score and a bit of free time  The higher
the level (see Level), the more base score you get. If you are in your free
time, your score increases slowly, if you run out of free time, your score
decreases, this decrease is slightly coupled with the number of digits you
allready identified. Whenever you identify a digit you receive new free time.
When you make a mistake while identifying a digit you suffer a penalty and
loose some free time. This penalty increases with each mistake, so be carefull.

 You can watch your score, errors, time and free time in the lower part of the
window.

Note:  There are two different modes, but three different highscores, see
Highscores

 There is a differnt Scoring method for Scoring.Hardmode


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22.2. Hardmode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Hardmode is simpler than Scoring.Easymode. Since there are no in between
guesses of digits (if you are right in the end, ok, otherwise you are
completely lost) and so you suffer a constant penalty in time. Though you start
with a higher amount of free time, you don't get new free time during play, so
scoring is mainly dependant on time.

 You can watch your score, errors, time and free time in the lower part of the
window.

Note:  There are two different modes, but three different highscores, see
Highscores


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 23. . Some more advertisement ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 You may have recognized a hedgehog every now and then in this program.

this is the Logo of a small game company from Southern Germany:
We call ourselves Doris & Frank or shorter D&F and we published some
boardgames yet and this program is Franks first trial to produce some
shareware.  If you are interested in  boardgames  (mainly little ones) have a
look at Ken Tidwells or my WWW - Pages:
 http://www.kaleida.com/u/tidwell/GameCabinet.html
you'll find very, very good information there and you'll find us under
publishers.

You may also write a snail mail to

Doris & Frank
Obere BБch 24
D-91054 Buckenhof
Germany

Thanx!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 24. . Register? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 If you are so kind and wan't to register this program, please send me
eurocheque with 10 DM (thats the only way for me to cash it without 30DM fee's)
to

Frank Sven Nestel
Obere BБch 24
D-91054 Buckenhof
Germany

If wan't to pay in a different way (e.g. if you are from Germany), please first
ask me:
 [e-mail]

Note:  I can't offer you any upgrade garanties, printed documentation other
programs of mine yet. The only thing I can do, is keep in touch with you. If
this works out I've a lot of ideas for more little programs like that, and
maybe some bigger ones.

Thanx for anything!

 P.S.: Please let me know of all critisisms and suggestions to improve this
little program.