500 Game Surplus/XSurplus.iso/115/FARMER.DOC

Text File | 1994-04-25 | 6KB | 140 lines

TOMMY'S SPACE FARMER (C) COPYRIGHT 1988 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #88-109-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

FARMER IS AN EARTHLING CARD GAME THEY SAY IS LOVED DOWN ON THE FARM, BUT JUST
WHY NO ONE KNOWS.  IN ACTUAL FACT, IT IS EVERY BIT AS FUN AS THE GAMES PLAYED
IN THE JET SET CASINOS OF MONTE CARLO.  RESEMBLING BLACKJACK, YOU GO FOR 16
INSTEAD OF 21.  PERHAPS IT IS CALLED FARMER BECAUSE IT IS SO EASY FOR CARD
SHARKS TO CHEAT AT THAT ONLY HONEST FARMERS COULD PLAY A GAME AND KEEP IT
FAIR.

SPACE FARMER:
NOT SURPRISINGLY, IN OUTER SPACE THIS GAME IS PLAYED A LOT BY WHAT YOU MIGHT
CALL SLIME DEVILS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY SUCKERS THEY CAN CHEAT BETTER AT
THIS GAME THAN ANY OTHER; TO COUNTER THE PURE LUCK THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HELP
DETERMINE THE WINNER THEORETICALLY, THE REAL CHEATERS MAKE IT UP ON THE
SHUFFLE, CUT, AND DEAL, NOT TO MENTION THE CARDS HIDDEN UNDER THEIR TENTACLES.

THE CHEAT BUTTON:
TO CAPTURE THE REAL FUN OF THIS GAME, TOMMY'S SPACE FARMER FEATURES BUILT-IN
CHEATING BY THE COMPUTERIZED PLAYERS: IF YOU SUSPECT A PLAYER OF CHEATING,
HIT THE CHEAT BUTTON (THE ESC KEY), AND, IF YOU ARE RIGHT, THE CHEATER IS
ZAPPED, THE REMAINING PLAYERS SPLIT HIS POT, AND THE GAME CONTINUES AS LONG
AS THERE ARE ANY PLAYERS LEFT.  ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU ACCUSE A PLAYER OF
CHEATING AND HE WASN'T, YOU GET ZAPPED AND THE PROGRAM TERMINATES (YOU'LL
HAVE TO TRUST TOMMY THAT YOU WERE ZAPPED WHEN YOU DESERVED IT).  THIS CHEAT
BUTTON THEREFORE REQUIRES SOME EXPERIENCE AND PRUDENCE, SO YOU MIGHT FORGET
ABOUT IT FOR THE FIRST HUNDRED GAMES OR SO AND TAKE YOUR LICKS IN CHIPS.

TO DISABLE ALL CHEATING AND PLAY A FAIR GAME: HIT FUNCTION KEY F6.

THE PLAYERS:
THIS IS A CARD GAME FOR TWO TO EIGHT.  IN TOMMY'S SPACE FARMER, YOU PLAY
AGAINST SEVEN COMPUTERIZED PLAYERS; YOU PLAY THE HAND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
SCREEN, THE COMPUTER PLAYS THE OTHER SEVEN AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN.  IN DEMO
MODE THE COMPUTER WILL PLAY YOUR HAND AS WELL.  (NO, THE COMPUTER WILL NOT
CHEAT WHEN PLAYING YOUR HAND.)

THE DECK: A STANDARD DECK OF 52 CARDS IS USED, WITH ALL EIGHTS AND ALL SIXES
EXCEPT THE SIX OF HEARTS REMOVED (45 CARDS).  THE CARDS COUNT AS IN BLACKJACK
EXCEPT THAT ACES ALWAYS COUNT AS 1, NEVER 11.

THE FARMER: THE FIRST FARMER (DEALER) IS RANDOMLY CHOSEN BY THE COMPUTER (IN
A REAL GAME THE CARDS ARE DEALT UNTIL SOMEBODY GETS THE 6 OF HEARTS TO SELECT
A FARMER).

THE FARM: EACH PLAYER PUTS AN AGREED-UPON NUMBER OF CHIPS (CALLED THE ANTE)
INTO THE FARM (POOL).  THE STANDARD ANTE IS USUALLY 1 CHIP.

THE DEAL: EACH PLAYER GETS 1 CARD, DEALT STARTING AT FARMER'S LEFT.  THE
REMAINING CARDS ARE THEN PUT ON THE TABLE FACE DOWN AND BECOME THE STOCK.

THE PLAY: BEGINNING WITH ELDEST HAND, AND GOING CLOCKWISE, EACH PLAYER MUST
DRAW ONE OR MORE CARDS, ONE AT A TIME, AS LONG AS HIS CARD COUNT IS LESS
THAN 16.  AFTER A PLAYER HAS "STAYED", HE MAY DRAW NO MORE CARDS THAT HAND.
THE NEXT PLAYER GOING CLOCKWISE THEN PLAYS.

NOTE: TO DRAW, JUST HIT THE SPACE BAR.  TO STAY, HIT THE <ENTER> KEY.  YOU
CAN ALSO HIT THE "D" KEY TO DRAW, THE "S" KEY TO STAY.

WINNING THE FARM:
AFTER FARMER HAS PLAYED, ALL PLAYERS TURN THEIR CARDS UP SO THE OTHERS CAN
EXAMINE THEM.

   1. ANY PLAYER HOLDING A COUNT OF 16 WINS THE FARM, UNLESS THERE ARE TIES.

   2. IN CASE OF TIES, THE FARM GOES TO (IN ORDER):

      A. THE PLAYER HOLDING THE 6 OF HEARTS.
      B. THE PLAYER WITH THE FEWEST CARDS.
      C. THE FARMER.
      D. THE FIRST PLAYER TO FARMER'S LEFT.

   3. THE WINNER OF THE FARM BECOMES THE NEXT FARMER.

   4. IF NO ONE HOLDS A HAND OF 16 POINTS THEN THE FARM REMAINS UNTAKEN
      AND THE FARMER REMAINS THE SAME.

THE PAYOFF:

   1. AFTER THE WINNER (IF ANY) OF THE FARM IS SETTLED, EACH PLAYER WHOSE
      HAND HAS BUSTED (GONE OVER 16) MUST PAY ONE ANTE TO THE FARMER WHO
      DEALT THE HAND.  IF THE FARMER BUSTS, HE PAYS HIMSELF.

   2. IF NO ONE HELD A COUNT OF 16, THE NON-FARMER PLAYER WITH A COUNT
      NEAREST 16 GETS ONE ANTE FROM EACH NON-FARMER PLAYER HOLDING A LESSER
      COUNT; IN CASE OF TIES ON THE COUNT NEAREST 16, THE TIED PLAYERS DIVIDE
      THE PAYOFF EQUALLY; IF THERE ARE ANY ODD CHIPS, THEY ARE FLIPPED FOR.

NOTE ON STRATEGY:
STANDARD ADVICE IS TO STAND ON 9.  OBVIOUSLY, HOWEVER, THE LARGER THE FARM
GETS THE MORE TEMPTING IT IS TO TAKE A RISK AND TAKE A CARD; AS AN EXTREME
EXAMPLE, IF THE FARM IS A ZILLION CHIPS, YOU ONLY RISK LOSING A CHIP BY
HITTING 15, IN RETURN FOR A GOOD CHANCE FOR A ZILLION.  MAYBE THIS IS WHY
THEY CALL IT FARMER: YOU DON'T TAKE TOO MANY RISKS WHILE THE FARM IS SMALL,
BUT YOU AREN'T AFRAID TO TAKE A CHANCE FOR A BIG HARVEST.  OF COURSE, IF YOU
ARE THE FARMER, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO FOR BUST EVERY TIME.

FUNCTION KEYS:
SOUND EFFECTS TOGGLE: FUNCTION KEY F1 TOGGLES THE SOUND EFFECTS ON AND OFF.

DEMO MODE TOGGLE: FUNCTION KEY F2 TOGGLES THE DEMO MODE. IN DEMO MODE, THE
COMPUTER PLAYS YOUR HAND TOO.

TO QUIT: HIT FUNCTION KEY F7.

TO CHANGE THE SCREEN BORDER COLOR (COLOR MONITORS ONLY): HIT FUNCTION KEY F10.

TO DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS: HIT FUNCTION KEY F5.

TO TOGGLE CHEAT MODE: HIT FUNCTION KEY F6.

GAME SPEED CONTROL: THE UP ARROW (ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD) INCREASES, AND THE
DOWN ARROW DECREASES, THE DELAY BETWEEN COMPUTER TURNS.  THE VALUE OF THIS
DELAY, IN SECONDS, IS DISPLAYED ON THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE SCREEN, RIGHT SIDE.

TO SKIP STARTUP SHOW: HIT THE <ENTER> KEY TWICE INSTEAD OF ONCE WHEN RUNNING
THE PROGRAM FROM DOS, OR USE THE * PARAMETER ON THE COMMAND LINE.

COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
   S    START UP WITH SOUND OFF
   M    FORCE MONO DISPLAY MODE
   C    FORCE COLOR DISPLAY MODE
   *    SKIP THE STARTUP SHOW

EXAMPLE: >FARMER MS

----------------------
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IBM PC AND COMPATIBLES.  WE ARE WAITING TO SEND YOU OUR 5.25 INCH (360KB) OR
3.5 INCH (720KB) DEMO DISK, CONTAINING AN ELECTRONIC TOY CATALOG AND OTHER
GOODIES, FOR ONLY $2 TO ANY U.S. ADDRESS, $3 OUTSIDE U.S. (U.S. FUNDS ONLY OR
CHECK DRAWN ON U.S. BANK).  IF YOUR PC BORES YOU WRITE US NOW.
TOMMY'S TOYS, P.O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.

PLAY OFTEN!